This video by Jefferson Bethke is a powerful spoken word poem that highlights the difference between Jesus and false religion.
It has literally exploded on the internet with over 18 million views on YouTube.
Interestingly, it has also generated lots of online debate with one blogger on Gospel Coalition saying, ‘amidst a lot of true things in this poem there is a lot that is unhelpful and misleading.’. You can read the full review here.
So given the criticism of this video, would I still use it in class?
Absolutely!
Three reasons why:
- It is brilliantly produced – the video is schmick, well-crafted and sharply made. The boys appreciate and respect that. The better the medium the more likely they are to listen and engage with the message.
- Conflict is a sensational teaching tool – use the video as a discussion starter to get the students thinking. In senior classes you could get them to think through some of the critiques and ask do they agree?
- Jefferson is a young man who loves Jesus – I want to expose the young guys at school to this as much as possible!
I admit there are some things in it that just seem random in our Australian youth context (such as his mention of Republicans), however, overall I reckon this video is an excellent resource! If you use it let me know how it goes!
Schmick. I don’t believe he meant that.