Jack Bauer is like Jesus?

Do you remember a couple of years ago when The Passion of the Christ first came to movie theatres? There was all sorts of furor over the violence, the blood, the unnecessarily graphic nature of the film. Even Christians, who agreed with the content, tone and message of Mel Gibson's movie were occasionally moved to shudder, or at least scratch their heads and wonder why. You see, no matter how much we love Jesus, no matter how grateful we are for his suffering and sacrifice, we really do not want to have too much information about the details. It is just too uncomfortable and ugly for us. We want the Christian world to be pretty and pleasant.

So, I was watching my favorite television program the other day. Jack Bauer was once again in the middle of saving the world. That's what he does on 24, after all. I was thinking to myself how grateful I am that Jack is out there protecting me and saving me from all the bad guys. And though I know that the program is a fantasy, I secretly pray that there are some real Jack Bauer's in the world. I hope that there are people- men or women- who put my safety above everything else.

And there was Jack, torturing another suspect/ criminal/ terrorist to get the information that would save the world. There were no other options. Jack had to use extreme measures. He had to use torture so he could get the information before the bomb/ nuclear device/ assassination/ biological weapon went off.

It was then that I realized that as much as I love Jack Bauer, as much as I think that I- and our country- need him, if I knew him in real life, I would not choose him as a friend. What he does is important, crucial in fact. But it is ugly and unpleasant. Jack is, in reality, an unsavory character. He is surrounded by unsavory people. What he does makes me wince and disgusts me, but I need Jack. I need him to save the world.

Isn't that just like Jesus? We do not want to know the details about his suffering, his torture, his death, but we need him. I need him to love and forgive me. I need him to save the world.