At 6.00a.m. on the day before Good Friday, ABC Radio’s Triple J breakfast team ran a competition in Melbourne’s Federation Square called Jesus, You’ve Got Talent. The idea was that contestants would come dressed up as Jesus (you can just imagine the array of badly-arranged bedsheets, old sandals, and improvised beards on display), and then perform their favourite party piece: juggling cats, yodelling the national anthem, or whatever.
Advertising for the event, if not so much the quest itself, created a bit of a stir — so much so that Triple J seemed to hurriedly remove any official reference to it from its own website. “Even for a non-Christian”, wrote Andrew Bolt in his blog, "this safe mockery of a faith which won’t hit back seems both tiresome and pathetically weak," adding on Good Friday, "Mocking Christ has not, in years, seemed this childish—even cowardly."
Outrage from some of those identifying themselves as Christian was often less moderately worded, with some violent rhetoric in the feedback sections of both websites appearing over the Easter weekend, perpetuating the prejudice of some, no doubt, that — even in the middle of a comedy festival — Christians have no sense of humour.
Feeling vaguely guilty for not being more upset or offended myself, I couldn’t help wondering, had the ‘second coming’ been scheduled for early morning April 5 at the corner of Swanston and Flinders Streets, and Jesus was told by a well-meaning ABC radio producer to please take a number and fill out an entry form while waiting over there for his turn behind ukulele-playing Jesus — and, by the way, great costume! — what would he have listed as his show-stopper? It’s a bit like Abraham says in the parable from Luke’s gospel: if people don’t warm to Moses and the prophets, nor will they be impressed even if someone should rise from the dead.
One can imagine the scene: "Yes, Jesus number 28 — ok — you’ve got talent, clearly, but we were kind of looking for something else, thanks anyway. Next up, Jesus #29 and ‘The Disciples’, with a theatre-sports sketch based on ‘Thank God you’re here'".
Jesus was, of course, no stranger to the demand for signs—some demonstration of special ability. And on Maundy Thursday of all days we’re reminded of the fickle reception the works he did perform received at the hands of various sets of judges,