my name is jesus christ

I've said I would mainly be recording here my own thoughts and reflections as my work so leads me, and not so much record what the people I work with say or do. That is primarily what I'm doing here, but it flows out of something one of my housemates has said/done, so I must include that.

So, basically - one of my housemates likes to say, "My name is Jesus Christ...see, I've got the power in my hands."  The first time he said this, we were driving down the road from church, and I said, "Really? Are you saying that you are Jesus Christ?"  He said, "Right - I'm Jesus Christ. See?" as he showed me the palms of his hands. 

I said, "and are you saying that you have marks on your hands like where your hands were nailed to the cross?"  He said, "Right."  I'm not sure if he quite got what I was asking him about the nails in his hands - I think he's primarily focused on his hands because he sees clergy and music leaders use their hands to connote important moments, and that is where his power resides to make tubes of toothpaste disappear, snow to appear, and rain to stop - "See? I make the power in my hands."  

I then said, "Wow, that freaks me out a little bit.  I didn't know I was driving around Jesus Christ in my car every day."

And then I realized - well, actually I have been driving around Jesus Christ in my car every day.  My housemate was absolutely correct - I encounter Jesus every day in both my housemates.  Assuming that Jesus was relating himself to the king in his parable in Matthew 25, I can only hope that whatever good I do with "the least of these" that I live and work with, I am doing to Jesus.  And I can only hope that Jesus forgives me for asking him to make his toothpaste re-appear, asking him to keep his mouth shut when I'm tired of listening, and determining that it's not his job to lock and unlock the car doors. 

And I hope that something of the spirit of my housemate's prayers will rub off on me - "Dear Father,  My name is Jesus Christ.  I can help you.  I make the power, I make the sunshine...Thank you for the good food.  God help you.  Amen." 

And may I find more joy and humor than annoyance every time my housemate wishes not to shave, because he wants to "keep his beard" - because he's Jesus Christ, or Santa Clause, or Michael Jackson (because Michael Jackson ever had a beard?). 

Oh, life at its fullest.