Buddy Christ or Burning Furnace? Rethinking Our Relationship with God
There’s a meme floating around Christian circles — Buddy Christ — the winking, thumbs-up Jesus from the movie Dogma. It’s funny, but it’s also frighteningly on-point. Because let’s be honest: in many corners of contemporary Christianity, Jesus has become little more than a benign pal, a boyfriend who’s really into long walks on the beach and who, most importantly, never asks too much of us.
Is God just a cosmic buddy, a sacred logo, or a vague idea that we can sing romantic worship songs to without being changed?
From Fire and Brimstone to Flirtation
Compare that to Jonathan Edwards’ terrifying and theologically dense sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, preached in 1741. Edwards pulled no punches. He described the human heart as a furnace of sin restrained only by God’s mercy. He warned that God’s wrath was like floodwaters building behind a dam, ready to break loose.
Most famously, he compared sinners to:
“a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhorred by God... worthy of nothing else but to be cast into the fire.”
That’s quite a contrast to the chorus of some contemporary worship songs:
“I want to touch you, I want to see your face, I want to know you more.”
“There’s nothing like Your friendship… with You, with You, with You…”
These lyrics paint a picture of God as emotionally available and eager for connection — but with little to no moral authority or demand.
Have We Flattened the Divine?
So how did we get from a fiery pulpit in Connecticut to singing love songs to Jesus like He’s our prom date?
Theologian Andrew Root, building on Charles Taylor’s secularization theory, argues that modern Christianity has “flattened” the divine. God has been reduced to a comforting presence, not a commanding one. A God who listens, but does not lead. Who soothes, but does not save.
We want a God who comforts us, not confronts us.
This isn't just an Evangelical or Progressive problem. It's a cultural one. We’ve domesticated God into a logo, a vibe, or a brand — instead of a holy and active presence. No wonder Sunday mornings feel like a pep-rally instead of sacred space.
Reverence Matters: A Wake-Up Call from Ben Crosby
On a recent episode of the Future Christian Podcast, Reverend Ben Crosby reminded us that the problem isn’t just theology — it’s existential.
Churches are shrinking, yes. But more importantly, many have stopped expecting God to actually act.
Crosby argues that grace and inclusion matter deeply, but so does the question: Does God still matter? Not just as an idea — but as a living, commanding force in our lives. One we must respond to, submit to, and follow.
Aslan Is Not a Tame Lion
Substack writer
offers a compelling image drawn from C.S. Lewis’ character Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia. Aslan, a figure for Christ, is majestic, loving, and gentle — but also powerful and terrifying.“He’s not a tame lion,” Mr. Beaver famously says, “but he is good.”
Boden points out how the children in Narnia tremble in Aslan’s presence — not out of fear alone, but out of reverence and awe. That’s the paradox we’ve lost: God’s nearness and holiness. His tenderness and power.
We’ve kept the gentleness of Aslan but edited out his roar.
When God Becomes Just a Friend
Too many of us now worship a God who consoles us but no longer confronts us. A God who supports us but no longer sends us. A God who “likes” us — but doesn’t lead us.
Crosby’s challenge is sobering: Have we lost the courage to proclaim that knowing Jesus really matters?
Because if knowing Jesus matters, then God isn’t just our buddy. He’s our King. And that changes everything.
Recovering the God Who Acts
Maybe it’s time to revisit Edwards. Not to copy his tone, but to recover the weight and awe of divine holiness. To remember that:
God acts
God commands
God saves
God is not safe, but He is good
The Bottom Line
If our God is just our best friend, we’ve lost something crucial.
But if our God is a holy fire who also calls us friend — if He is not safe but good — then that’s a God worth singing to, kneeling before, and following. Not just feeling fondly about.
I share these concerns. I approach my faith from a much more contemplative background than the fire and brimstone of my childhood. And it has radically transformed my relationship with Jesus, but after walking in it for quite some time now I do share these concerns that we are losing the truth of who God is in his mightiness and his awesomeness and in his standards. We are recreating Him in OUR image instead of the other way around. This was perfectly stated. Thank You!
Perhaps the change of Jesus from Lord to Comforter (for some us, not all of us) is due in large part to the isolation, alienation, and loneliness of 21st century society. Western society is so dominated by materialism, individualism, and soulless cultural hedonism that people (particularly our youth) are starving for connection, both human and divine. Maybe they have less need for someone to tell them what they need, for they know this by its absence in their lives, and someone to see them and be their friend who actually knows how to be a friend. Someone like Jesus.