My recommendation letter for Jesus Christ

To Whom It May Concern,

I am pleased to provide this letter in support of Jesus Christ’s application to be your manager. I recognize this position is not currently advertised as open, but Jesus Christ is uniquely qualified, as millions of other individuals can also attest, and I suggest you give his application serious consideration. For my part, I briefly detail below how Jesus has saved my life from emptiness and been manager of my life for 35 years.

It is customary to begin such letters with an explanation of how I am acquainted with the applicant. My first personal encounter with Jesus came at the age of 7. I had heard many times already the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. (I assume you are likewise familiar with his CV; if not, please take a look as it is very unusual.) Suddenly, though, I realized for the first time that I was a part of the story! Jesus suffered and died for me. It was my sin and separation from God that he had dealt with at great personal cost. And when he rose from the dead and offered a new and triumphant life of relationship with God—his own righteousness credited to me, a new identity knit to his, a new eternal destiny under his command—he was offering all this to me. In a moment I was kneeling in submission and gratitude, tears rolling down my face as I experienced a rush of joy and peace that remains one of my most deeply engraved memories.

Since that time, I have experienced an ongoing, powerful, inner influence that with every bit of intellectual honesty I have I can only assess as foreign to my natural self and can only conclude is Christ doing what he said he would if I gave him authority over my life. I mention this because you ought to know what to expect should you give Jesus a similar position. As a side-effect, the broader perspective of Christ’s redemptive mission statement imbues the whole natural world with a unique purpose and beauty that is delightfully rewarding to scientific inquiry.

I recognize all this is subjective and perhaps suspicious as the result of childhood indoctrination, but, after all, these letters are supposed to be subjective supplements—the objective can be readily found elsewhere. As for my early indoctrination, I will gladly grant it without dispute or regret, but I am now a middle-aged scientist, a member of a community that doesn’t exactly nourish belief in an invisible and unprovable Creator. It would be easy for me to simply put faith in the closet with the dusty keepsakes of childhood, to be hauled out perhaps at holidays, a silly little thing of sentimental value. And yet, for what it is worth to you, I am convinced more than ever that the very fabric of reality is upheld by Jesus Christ, the prime . My lived experience has empirically confirmed to me his teachings. The fact of the matter is that his presence has become the central feature of my life and my source of meaning, not as a philosophical prop for my imagination and self-comfort, but as an actual caring manager who discretely bears power and wisdom in guiding my life-career.

As you know, these letters often include one or more mild gestures at criticism that actually serve as compliments in disguise. Very well.
Jesus Christ has some dubious personnel, and it can get embarrassing. On the other hand, I’m glad he isn’t selective or I certainly wouldn’t make the cut! Similarly, he makes claims so audacious that many are viewed as foolish or offensive, yet he never adjusts his messaging.
And then there’s the fact that he insists on working remotely—some in his organization complain that face-to-face meetings with him are practically unheard of. I myself have at times questioned whether he exists at all, though in the end I have never been able to explain him away. One of his famous quotes is, “Seek and you shall find.” Suffice it to say that I have found him in every circumstance to be true to all his statements quoted in the Bible. But that means that if there is anything he has said that you find objectionable, I would advise you not to gloss over it in your assessment of him.

In conclusion, I give Jesus Christ my highest recommendation and gladly stake my reputation on him. Of course, surrendering control of your life to a stranger is usually a very bad decision (with exceptions for ER doctors, etc.!) and I would not expect you to do so merely on the basis of my recommendation. I do, however, hope you will examine Jesus Christ’s application carefully on its own merits and become more acquainted with his character. If I can be of service in satisfying any curiosity, I would be delighted to discuss further with you.

Sincerely,

Jason Kestner