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Elton John recently lit up the blogasphere with his comments in Parade magazine that Jesus was a gay man. The reaction has been swift and harsh. Let me say up front that Elton was mistaken - Jesus was not a gay man. But what did he really say?  The following is what  he said.

"I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems. On the cross, he forgave those who crucified him. Jesus wants us to be loving and forgiving. I don't know what makes people so cruel. Try being a gay woman in the Middle East - you're as good as dead."

First, he begins with the words "I think." Do we not all have the tendency to impose our cultural biasis on Jesus? I found this out in reading the reviews from my recent book, "The Year of Living Like Jesus." I discovered that everyone, religous or not, has their take on Jesus. Some thought Jesus should be "green." Others thought he should be poor. Others thought he should be anti-war. Others thought he should be for climate change. We alll bring our "stuff" to Jesus and somtimes reshape Jesus in our own image.

Second, Elton says eight things about Jesus.

1. He was compassionate.

2. He was super-intelligent.

3. He was gay.

4. He understood human problems.

5. On the cross, he forgave people.

6. He wants us to be loving.

7.He wants us to be forgiving.

8. He wants us to  be kind - not cruel.

I completely agree with Elton on seven of the eight. He is right on! However, I disagree with him on the issue that Jesus was gay.  So does Elton get any credit for seven out of eight? I think he does. He has a pretty high view of Jesus even given his "gay" comments.

Third, I have this feeling that Elton thinks Jesus is gay because the people whom he knows who are gay are loving , forgiving and kind. I have found this to be true of most of the gay people I know. So Elton concludes that since Jesus is loving,forgiving and kind, he must be gay. But as Jesus followers, are we not all supposed to be loving, forgiving and kind?

So thank you Elton for the gift of music you have given us and for your foundation that serves people with HIV/AIDS. Thank you for reminding us of Jesus and his characertistics. And, yes, I hope you will change  the third characteristic of Jesus.