What do Jesus and an anarchist have in common? Not much I would have thought. Until I started talking to B.

B is a social work student at GBC. He was eating a slice of pizza in the cafeteria. So, my coworker and I decided to start chatting with him.

Turns out B described himself as an anarchist. My only images of anarchists are the rioters who set police cars on fire during the G20 riots in Toronto. So I shared my mental image with him mostly to ask him, what do anarchists believe? How did you come to be an anarchist?

As we kept talking, a portrait emerged. Anarchists are not all bad people. They just do not like corrupt authorities. They firmly believe that absolute power absolutely corrupts. And that all individuals in a society should be able to share equal power. Anarchists want to to subvert and “dethrone” the powers that be so that we can become an equal society. Some do that through violence. He does not believe in violence or force.

From there, grew a positive discussion on human nature, authorities, compassion, and equality. B shared how he is Metis (aboriginal with mixed European heritage). He volunteered on a First Nations reserve to help aboriginal youth break the cycle of poverty, crime and prison. He believed the government was at fault because they didn’t provide resources to reserves. At the same time, he didn’t have a victim mentality. He knew he came from a well-to-do family, and was a person of privilege. He really did care about humanity and the world.

The more he talked about how he desired to see evil authorities overthrown, I asked him “would you ever consider Jesus as an anarchist?” He asked “what do you mean?” So I continued “when I read about the life of Christ, one of the things that strikes me is about how Jesus did not like the religious authorities of his time because they were corrupt and oppressive. This one time, he made a whip and chased them out of the temple. And he called them names.” B was intrigued.

So, now we had an even more positive discussion on Jesus, and his love and compassion for all people. And how Jesus wants to bring life transformation that ends evil and oppression in the world. B shared about how he once went to a youth group growing up, and seemed to be familiar with Jesus.

B did not get to hear the full Gospel that day. He did not get to hear that Jesus died for his sins. Mostly for the sake of time. The above paragraph describes a 90-minute spiritual conversation. But he did hear that Jesus is a lot more different and relevant than he ever imagined.

We’re now friends on Facebook. And I am trying to have coffee with him sometime to share more about Christ.

So, please pray for us that God will open that door.

In Christ,

J