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There was a trend some years ago where people wore bracelets with the letters WWJD stitched onto them.
WWJD…….What. Would. Jesus. Do?
That little bracelet was a persistent, public reminder that we Christians are called to act out our faith. Sounds like a great idea.
But the trend faded quickly.
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Perhaps people realized just how hard acting like Jesus can be.
I was always too afraid to wear one. What would people think of me if they caught me red handed contradicting my faith, impatiently rushing to the front of the line? Gossiping? Telling a lie?
Perhaps there’s some irony in the fact that now I’m walking around in a priestly collar.
That white tab pressed against my Adam’s apple is like one big WWJD bracelet, a public reminder that I’m called to act like Christ.
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But we all are.
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That’s the challenge in today’s Gospel.
Jesus criticized the religious authorities of his day because they failed to do so. They spoke eloquently of God but didn’t always act like him.
“Therefore,” he says, “do and observe all the things they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.”
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How well do we practice our faith? Can people see Christ clearly in us? Or is he somehow obscured?
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Although those WWJD bracelets are out of style, they make a timeless point.
We should constantly question, “What would Jesus do?” Then act accordingly.