The WWJD notion has a long history: a notable example is Thomas à Kempis’ The Imitation of Christ – and that was 600 years ago. Today, however, there is some suspicion that the use of the WWJD bracelets, and related objects, is largely to identify the wearer as belonging to the Christian subculture, rather than as an aid to making moral decisions.
Criticism of WWJD may, however, be perceived as hurtful by some Christians, so let us consider it in more detail.
On the positive side, the WWJD slogan makes people think about Jesus – and not just when they are at church. It can be a helpful reminder to consider ‘What would Jesus do?’ in a particular situation you find yourself in. It also encourages people to do good and if it promotes a Jesus-like attitude then this is thoroughly biblical. In Philippians 2:5 Paul says that our ‘attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus’ (NIV). Paul is encouraging an outlook of humility, gentleness, forgiveness, truth, compassion and love.
However, WWJD has shortcomings as a guide to the Christian life. Christianity has never worked when reduced to a slogan, let alone an acronym of just four letters. Christianity is not about a set of rules or a moral philosophy, it is about an encounter with the living Jesus Christ. WWJD focuses on moral questions, while New Testament teaching centres on being a new creation in Christ, being adopted into God’s family and having the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The fullness of a transformed, spirit-filled life cannot be captured in a slogan!
WWJD also downplays Jesus himself, focusing on him as a great moral teacher. He is not only a moral teacher, he is the living Lord, God on earth, who died and rose again to save humanity. If Jesus were only a prophet or a moral teacher then WWJD would be the key to Christianity. Yet he is much more, so focusing on WWJD means we can lose some really important elements of a biblical Christianity. A basic reading of the Gospels indicates that Jesus is a man with a mission: to go to Jerusalem, be rejected and betrayed by his own people and then die on the cross. So although human, just as we are, he is very different: he is also divine and on a divine mission. He gave up normal life and family relationships to fulfil his calling to live and die for God’s people.
It is not clear how Jesus would react if he was put in our place. Although he challenged many of the abuses of the Old Testament law (particularly concerning the Sabbath and moral legalism), he seems to have been a faithful first-century Palestinian Jew. As such, he would have attended synagogue, memorised large portions of the Hebrew Bible, dressed conservatively, shunned pork and presumably prayed at regular intervals during the day. Little of this applies to modern Christians, so are we being inconsistent in not doing as Jesus would have done? Jesus threw moneychangers out of the temple (Matthew 21:12-13) but this is not a model for a universal condemnation of capitalism. It was a rebuke to the Jewish leadership of the time that what should have been the holy place – somewhere the Gentile nations came to meet with God – had been turned into a corrupt marketplace.
WWJD oversimplifies the difficult area of ethics and morality and downplays other things that Christians have traditionally invoked to help them make decisions: conscience; the Old Testament Law, summarised in the Ten Commandments; the letters of the early church, which say much about the practicalities of morality; the guidance of the Holy Spirit; and the support and wisdom of the wider church, including Christian friends. The best summary of Jesus’ moral teachings are the beatitudes, which emphasize a heart change. This heart change can only occur with a daily encounter with the risen Lord through the Spirit.
What would Jesus do? Often, we simply cannot know. What we can be sure of is Jesus’ attitude. He exemplified humility and obedience (Philippians 2:5-8). So what about WWJD? Well, it is better than nothing. But Christianity cannot be reduced to a slogan – we need a living relationship with Christ and to know the power of the Holy Spirit. We also need the wisdom that comes through study of Scripture. It is great to see Jesus’ name elevated and it is good that the phrase is gaining popularity in the wider world, but as Christians we need to reclaim it and use it as a springboard to a deeper and more thoughtful consideration of what a Christian life should be and how we can seek to follow in the footsteps of the Son of God.
J.John
Reverend Canon
