(Re)Imagining Jesus, the Young Lord: Lessons for Activists, Organizers, and Clergy 50 Years Later

To understand the depth and impact of the First People’s Church Offensive is to wrestle with the image of Jesus the Young Lords presented. In the face of a white-washed, anti-socialist depiction of Christ the Young Lords boldly declared that if “Jesus were alive today he would be a Young Lord.” They made this declaration alongside an image of a brown-skinned, Palestinian man holding a rifle. To miss this christology is to miss something fundamental about the First People’s Church Offensive for these activists did not enter spewing Karl Marx and Ché Guevara but wielding the Bible. When challenged by Church leadership about the efficacy of their request to host breakfast programs for children and clothing drives the Young Lords responding quoting scripture. They reminded the ministers that in Matthew 25 Jesus said that it was they who took care of the poor, fed the hungry, and visited those in prison that would enter the kingdom of heaven.

As the current minister of the First Spanish Methodist Church, The People’s Church, in this presentation I will reflect on the legacy of this bold uncovering of the historical Jesus. Such reflections will focus primarily on lessons that can be drawn for Activists, Organizers, and Clergy who still face a world that considers serving the people “radical.” What can young leaders learn from this action? And how can educators empower the next generation through the legacy of this movement 50 years later?