The Jesus Index

Measuring the Health of Humanity Using The Teachings of Jesus

Click HERE to download or share The Jesus Index infographic

Click HERE to subscribe

The term “Christian” has become a popular qualifier lately. Evangelical Christian. Christian conservative. Christian nationalist. Dozens of Christian advocacy groups. This is nothing new. The past thousand years have seen a steady parade of political institutions, movements and cultural causes attempt to build credibility using the name of Jesus. 

This begs a question. What causes did Jesus actually care about? If Jesus were alive today, what issues in our society would most concern him?

The answer is complex, but it probably starts with this. When asked what was the most important rule to live by, Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy…’ [and], ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.’ ” (1)‬‬

Embedded in that single statement is a framework for understanding the health of humanity that is as simple as it is profound. Love God, love your neighbor, love yourself. Jesus wanted humans to thrive in each of these three areas: God, others, and self. He demonstrated each of those priorities in his life, and each have direct relevance in our society today. 

So how are we doing as a society in the United States, viewed through the lens of what Jesus prioritized?

GOD

Jesus called us to believe there is something bigger, more complex, more powerful than what we can comprehend, a truth that transcends visible facts and links the universe in ways we cannot fully understand. And he demonstrated a commitment to seeking truth, and to making time to pray and meditate on the divine. He also taught that tapping into something greater than ourselves is a source of strength, that God is the ‘vine’ and we are the ‘branches.' (2). The chart below summarizes a few datapoints that capture our connection to a higher power.

These metrics look a little bleak, suggesting that we are losing touch with the concept of a higher power. Belief in a God of any kind is down 20%, prayer is down 29%, and attendance at religious gatherings is down 45% (3).

NEIGHBORS

Jesus was deeply committed to caring for other people, including the poorest and most marginalized in society. The accounts of the life of Jesus list 23 occasions where he ministered to the sick. One of his most famous parables, that of the Good Samaritan, celebrates someone caring for a wounded stranger from another ethnic and religious group. Jesus provided money so people could pay their taxes, food so hungry people could eat. And he called his followers to do the same, to prioritize our neighbor’s wellbeing as we do our own. Below are three metrics that capture the degree to which we are caring for our neighbors (4).  

The steady decline in charitable giving is concerning, and fluctuates with economic cycles. The vast majority of U.S. citizens live well above the poverty line. But, there are still over 36 million people, including 11 million children in our country who cannot afford to meet basic needs. Crime rates have actually declined steadily for the past couple of decades, suggesting most of us enjoy historical levels of safety.

SELF

Jesus clearly wanted individuals to thrive in their mind and body. He taught people to take care of their physical health. “Many people were coming and going, so there was no time to eat. He said to the apostles, “Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while (5).””  And, he spent a great deal of time healing people of diseases that were beyond their control. “Jesus traveled among all the cities and villages…announcing the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.” (6). It is important to note, however, that Jesus repeatedly rejected those who would look down on people who were suffering from disease, or try to blame people who were victims of illness (6).

Measuring how we feel about ourselves is difficult, but the metrics below provide a broad view into the physical and mental health our society overall (7).

More than half the U.S. struggles with some form of chronic disease, including things like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and others. The mental health crisis in our country has been well-documented, with almost a quarter of us suffering from depression, anxiety, and other conditions. Substance abuse has increased slightly, with around 33 million people struggling with some form of addiction

Bringing it All Together: The Jesus Index

If we consolidate all of the above data together, weighting each equally, we get a composite index we can call The Jesus Index. A score of 100 would mean everyone is doing all nine of the things identified above, representing the "Love God, Love Others, Love Yourself" teachings of Jesus. The Jesus Index currently stands at 70.6, a drop of 10% in the past twenty years.

Interestingly, the Jesus Index follows a very similar trend as the Gallup State of the Nation survey, which measures how satisfied people are with conditions in the U.S. (8). We could have a great debate about correlation versus causality, but it is easy to see the relationship (8). Perhaps the framework Jesus provided has real relevance two thousand years later.

If you are not a follower of Jesus, but have heard the term ‘Christian’ used to justify any number of political and cultural causes, perhaps this little analysis will serve to illuminate what Jesus really cared the most about. If you are a follower of Jesus, as I am, this framework provides a great reminder of where we should be focusing our efforts. We should spend our energy trying to help people connect to God, addressing the physical needs of others, and personally staying healthy in mind and body.

Regardless of your beliefs, if you are someone who wants humans to thrive, these metrics provide a counterpoint to the standard economic and political metrics we see on the news. Seeing humanity through the eyes of Jesus provides an important alternative view of how we are doing, and points out just how much work is still to be done.

Click HERE to download or share The Jesus Index infographic

Click HERE to subscribe

(1) ‭‭Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭29‬-‭31‬ ‭MSG

(2) "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5, NIV

(3) Gallup - https://news.gallup.com/poll/1690/religion.aspx, Pew - https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/, General Social Survey (GSS) - https://gss.norc.org/

(4) Gallup, IRS, US Census Bureau, FBI CDE

(5) "Then Jesus said, 'Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.' He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat." — Mark 6:31 (NLT)

(6) Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭35‬ ‭CEB‬‬

(7)“Jesus’ disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned so that he was born blind, this man or his parents?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents…” John‬ ‭9‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭CEB‬‬

(8) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)

(9) Gallup - https://news.gallup.com/poll/656114/americans-state-nation-ratings-remain-record-low.aspx?utm_source=chatgpt.com

(10) For my fellow stats geeks, the correlation between The Jesus Index and Gallup State of the Nation Satisfaction is 0.89 for the years 2003-2023. (That's high).