You may have heard Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem, If. It’s sort of about the ultimate man – wise, enduring, dependable, enigmatic. It’s understandably well loved, and a favourite of mine.
Given the subject matter, it seemed natural to wonder how it might apply to the true ultimate man – Jesus, who alone has expressed humanity in the most balanced, ideal and attractive way. So, I’ve written a sort of parody, reworked to capture something of the life this man of all men lived.
You read the original poem, and much of it could be said of Jesus – but we go further than that, in this God man who not only perfectly expresses humanity, but also reveals the nature and love of the Father. Jesus is the one man capable of living the type of life that Kipling’s If calls us to – and through his death and resurrection, he makes it possible for us to live lives that are increasingly in step with his.