Article August 2, 1999 Issue

Reflections on "What Would Jesus Do?"

Following Jesus' example brings healing

By Judith Haugan Ryan

RECENTLY I NOTICED many of my daughter's friends sporting bracelets and necklaces with the letters "WWJD" on them. The letters stand for the phrase "What would Jesus do?" The jewelry is intended to remind people to think about how they are acting. Are they remembering the Golden Rule? Are they treating others the way Jesus would have? I appreciated the commitment that people are making to this ideal.

Not long after, I was standing in a checkout line. In front of me was a surly-looking teenager dressed in gang attire. Had I met him on a lonely street at night, I might have been tempted to be alarmed or fearful. But I was surprised to notice that he was wearing a WWJD necklace. His eyes caught mine as I looked at it, so I said, pointing to the necklace, "What would Jesus do?" Immediately a radiant smile lighted up his face. He nodded in affirmation. Where moments before I had seen a rather frightening character, that was no longer how I felt about him. He was the child of God. Of course, he had always been God's honest, loving child. It was only my view of him that needed to be cleaned up.

This experience alerted me to take the "What would Jesus do?" reminder a step further. It's not only about what Jesus would do, but also, "What Jesus would view." How would he see and think about others? The sixth tenet of Christian Science given in Science and Health states, "And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure" (p. 497). Like the WWJD jewelry, this statement reminds the reader to watch what he or she is doing, but it also alerts the reader to pray to be guided to think rightly as well.

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Poem
Leaving your nets
August 2, 1999
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit