For those of us late Gen-Xers who grew up watching the television show “The Simpsons” we recall the character Ned Flanders. Can you believe The Simpsons are still on and making shows after 35 years? (768 episodes!) So, I suppose even the younger generations may know who Ned is: he is the very explicitly and genuinely Christian neighbor (in this case the house next-door) to the Simpson family. The Simpsons themselves are shown to be Church-goers though generally falling asleep at service or getting into some kind of shenanigans while the reverend is preaching.

Ned Flanders on the other hand is devout and no matter the bad behavior his neighbors show to him he responds with a smile and an “okily-dokily” (his catchphrase). It’s part of the comedy that the main character Homer can borrow Ned’s tools without returning them, make fun of Ned’s appearance, his children can bully Ned’s children - and all the while Ned is not going to get even or even lose his cool. He’s just going to “turn the other cheek” and say okily-dokily and then pray for Homer and his family. They actually show Ned on his knees, hands folded and praying!

It strikes me that we are shown Ned and how truly he practices what Jesus taught all Christians to do (return blessings for curses, turn the other cheek, forgive seventy-times-seven times, pray for your enemies). And yet he’s the object of laughter.

Homer and his family are meant to be the more common version of Christian: recognize God exists, go to Church, maybe pray when you need some special help, but otherwise live life pretty humanly (with all the self-centeredness and getting-even it involves).

It says in Mark 5 that when Jesus went to Jairus’ house in answer to his pleas to heal his dying daughter, Jesus told him and all the gathered mourners and family not to cry because she was not really dead. “And they ridiculed him.” (Mk 5:40) Why ridicule? Anger or astonishment or curiosity would all seem pretty understandable, they’re grieving after all. But instead, they ridicule him - perhaps laughing at what a simpleton Jesus is or even a religious nut. Then again, all Jesus is proposing is what He’s been saying all along: Follow me and you will live, even if you die… I am the Resurrection and the Life… (Jn 11:25)

The world has been ridiculing Jesus and His followers ever since. Many people look at us who believe as simpletons, unsophisticated, naive, pushovers - in other words, Ned Flanders! And as true disciples of the Lord we are going to respond to it like Jesus told us to: with forgiveness and prayer and blessing. I don’t know that any of us will respond with “okily-dokily” (or however it translates into Spanish!) but we can certainly always say “God bless you.”

Remember, along with their derision the world is fascinated with Christians who really practice what Jesus taught and lived. This is the source of most conversions in fact - they want to see if it’s really true and really possible, and we show with our lives that yes indeed it is! By Jesus’ amazing grace at work in us.

Have a blessed week together in your family - whether in AZ or traveling - and remember that the family that prays together stays together!

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