The Jesus Guy
Posted on July 10, 2010 at 8:00 am
A wandering evangelist known only as “What’s Your Name” walks through the world with no money or possessions, dressed like the images of Jesus most familiar to Christians, sharing the messages of the Bible. It is interesting to me that many people approach him because they’ve seen him on television rather than because he represents the spirit of Christianity. But people find their encounters with him genuinely moving and inspiring, and it is touching to see the connections he makes with people, often more from the way he listens than from what he says. Believers and non-believers will both find their assumptions challenged in this film, and as with the people he encounters, your reactions will be more governed by what you bring with you than by whether he is a con man or mentally ill or truly filled with the spirit of God.
The entire “Jesus Guy” film is currently available at no charge on Hulu.
I saw the “Jesus Guy” several years ago when he wandered into our area. A local church rented an auditorium for him to speak at and hundreds attended due to all the publicity in the local paper. I too went–curious about this man who dresses like Jesus.
He spoke for a little over an hour and frankly I was not impressed. I was hoping that he would talk about why he is doing what he is doing, his philosophy on life, what he has been through, people he has met, etc. But instead we got over an hour of boring platitudes exhorting us to be nice to each other, to share, to live a simple life, etc. It was like listening to Mr Rogers. I mean, I KNOW we need to be nice to each other. Tell me something I don’t know. I left the auditorium quite disappointed.
He seems like a sincere, nice guy but I still have no clue why he does what he does or what the point is. Maybe he is mentally ill. Who knows?
Just watched the documentary about what’s your name. certainly nas some ways about him that are different. I pray that if it is suppose to be that we will cross paths. It is so obvious that he does what he does because he feels God has called him to do this. Instead of questioning his motives for what he does, take a good look at your own motives for doing whatever it is you do. Just really evaluate whether or not each of us is doing what God intended. After all this man is really truly only accountable to himself and God. And his “philosophy” is written in a book called The Bible, so read about it yourself if you want to know.
Thanks, Richard and Christina. I find him fascinating — and people’s reactions to him even moreso. His gentleness and willingness to listen, whether divinely inspired, inspired by his faith, or from some other source, has a powerful ability to touch people’s spirits. And for those who do not find in him what they are looking for, at least that helps them understand their own spiritual journey more deeply.