When Labels Replace the Gospel: A Starbucks Encounter With a “Woke Jesus” Claim
When Labels Replace the Gospel: A Starbucks Encounter With a “Woke Jesus” Claim I was sitting in Starbucks the other morning, Bible open, enjoying a rare moment of quiet. The smell of roasted beans, the low hum of conversation, and the Word of God in front of me — it was the kind of peace I don’t take for granted anymore. Then a young man walked by, glanced at my Bible, and said with a grin: “Did you know Jesus was woke?” Just like that, my focus snapped. I looked up, not angry, but curious — the kind of curiosity you get when someone says something so absurd that you almost want to hear the reasoning just for entertainment value. “Alright,” I said. “Explain that to me. Show me where you’re getting that from.” He didn’t expect that. And what followed was a familiar pattern I’ve seen more and more on social media: a modern political label being forced onto Jesus as if the Son of God needs branding. Within minutes, the conversation fell apart. He accused me of mocking him, go...