Easter: A Reminder That Jesus Was Not a Fan of Billionaires or Border Walls

AKA Why the Pope Snubbed JD Vance

Pilgrims come by the thousands to the Santuario de Chimayo in my home state of New Mexico. The church was built atop a sacred Puebloan kiva.

Happy Easter! Or, as Jesus might’ve said, “We’ve still got work to do, friends.”

Now, I’m not a dogma kind of Christian. But I do go to a church—and to a temple, and to the woods. I’m a Unitarian Universalist with Catholic tendencies and Sephardic roots. I also practice Shambhala Buddhism and consider Pema Chodron my teacher. I regard the unspoiled natural world to be the most sacred place, in the tradition of my Puebloan ancestors. My spirituality is layered, not linear. There’s no my-way-or-the-highway here—more like “let’s take the scenic route and learn from everyone along the way.”

Let me be clear: I do believe Jesus was the real deal: an ascended master, a deeply enlightened, brown-skinned, first-century Middle Eastern rabble-rouser who spent a lot more time flipping tables and hugging lepers than he did anointing racists and sociopaths. He’d be considered a commie by today’s far-right US “Christians.”

So, seeing as it’s Easter—the day we celebrate his big comeback tour—let’s talk about what Jesus actually said, versus what some of his modern US fan club seems to believe.

Because here’s the deal:

Jesus was not a white nationalist. He wasn’t white at all.
Jesus was not pro-rich-guy. He chose homelessness. And wore a dress.
Jesus was not American. Louder for the back. Not. American. Period.
Jesus was not only an immigrant, he was undocumented.
Jesus was not into deportations, prosperity gospel, or pyramid schemes.

Jesus wasn’t even nice. He was kind, which is different. Niceness doesn't get you crucified. But calling out corrupt leaders, defending immigrants and the poor, and telling rich dudes to give away all their money? That'll get you nailed to something real fast.

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Let’s Pull Some Receipts from the Gospel According to "That Guy You Keep Ignoring"

On hoarding wealth:

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
—Matthew 19:24

Translation: if Jeff Bezos makes it past the pearly gates, it’ll be because St. Peter mistook him for a door-to-door Kindle salesman.

On immigrants and strangers:

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
—Matthew 25:35

He didn’t say, “I was a stranger and you asked to see my papers.”

On the poor:

“Sell your possessions and give to the poor.”
—Luke 12:33

Fun fact: this is not something you’ll hear at a hedge fund brunch.

On false kings and power:

“My kingdom is not of this world.”
—John 18:36

So no, Jesus is not returning in a Cybertruck. He is not endorsing any candidates. And he is not calling MTG a visionary.

On performative religion:

“They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.”
—Matthew 23:4

That one goes out to every politician who thinks Jesus is cool with banning books, feeding kids sawdust, and cutting Social Security and Medicaid while holding a prayer breakfast at Mar-a-Lago.

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A Papal Side-Eye for JD Vance

Just this week, Vice President JD Vance flew to Rome, hoping to score some Easter-week Vatican photo ops and moral legitimacy. But the Pope wasn’t having it.

Instead of meeting with Vance, Pope Francis sent his second-in-command, Cardinal Parolin, who reportedly gave the VP a firm theological smackdown on the Church’s teachings about immigrants, refugees, and compassion. The message was clear: if you’re going to invoke Jesus, you’d better be ready to feed his sheep—not deport them to torture prisons without due process.

Let’s be honest: Vance and his entire Hate Squad love to invoke the Good Book without cracking it open. They cherry-pick scripture like it’s a Golden Corral buffet, skipping the parts where Jesus tells rich people to give everything away, demands love for strangers, and reminds us that the kingdom isn’t of this world—especially not the gated community parts.

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Easter Isn’t the Only Resurrection Game in Town

While we’re talking about rising from the dead, it’s worth remembering that Jesus isn’t the only one with springtime on his CV. Cultures all over the world have always seen this season as sacred—because the Earth itself is doing her big exhale.

Here are just a few other springtime traditions rooted in renewal and return:

Ostara (Pagan / Wiccan)

Named for the Germanic goddess Eostre (yes, where Easter got its name), this equinox festival celebrates balance, fertility, and planting new seeds—literally and spiritually.

Nowruz (Persian New Year)

More than 3,000 years old, Nowruz is a celebration of light, rebirth, and joy. You clean your home, gather with loved ones, and welcome spring with poetry, fire, and food.

Passover (Jewish)

A powerful ritual of liberation and spiritual rebirth. It’s about leaving oppression behind—both historically and within ourselves—and remembering that freedom is sacred.

Osun and the Waters of Renewal (Yoruba)

In Yoruba spiritual tradition, spring is a time to honor Ọṣun, the Orisha of sweet water, fertility, beauty, and love. Ọṣun is a river goddess, and her waters are invoked for healing, abundance, and the rebirth of life—especially as the dry season fades and the land begins to green.

Holi (Hindu)

Known as the Festival of Colors, Holi celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the arrival of spring. It’s loud, joyful, messy, and full of heart. Like spiritual Mardi Gras with pigment.

Pueblo Spring Renewal Ceremonies

Among many Pueblo peoples, spring marks a time of ceremonial offerings, calling for balance, rain, and fertility. These sacred traditions remind us that renewal comes through relationship with land and spirit, not domination.

Wherever you’re from, whatever you believe—this season is inviting all of us to rise. Whether it’s Jesus, Eostre, or a chile sprout poking up through New Mexico earth—it’s all holy. And it’s all still happening.

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The Stone Was Rolled Away, and So Was the Bullsh*t

Easter isn’t just about Jesus coming back from the dead like some holy Marvel character. It’s about the possibility that we can come back from the dead, too.

Not physically (though let’s be honest, some of us could use a resurrection spa day), but spiritually. Morally. Socially.

It’s not too late to stop worshipping money.
It’s not too late to stop blaming immigrants for your low self-esteem.
It’s not too late to remember that your neighbor is not your enemy.
And it’s not too late to make this world a little less brutal.

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What Would Jesus Do?

He’d wash feet, feed the hungry, hang out with the poor, scream at corrupt politicians, and remind us that the kingdom of heaven isn’t a gated community with an HOA—it’s a place where everyone gets to sit down and eat.

So if you want to celebrate Easter like Jesus would? Bake bread. Share it. Speak truth to power. And for God’s sake, stop acting like Jesus died so we could hoard gold and yell at people for speaking Spanish.

P.S. “Mar-a-Lago” is a Spanish name, too. Just like Florida.

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We rise together. Let’s make sure mama has bus fare to the Holy Land.