Dear Readers,
I am thrilled to share with you a project that has been a labor of love over the past 3-4 years — a journey that merges faith, storytelling, and the archetypes found in the words of Jesus. This book serves not only as a tool but as a map, aligning Christ’s words with archetypal traits woven into the fabric of history, society, and storytelling throughout the centuries.
In unpacking the Jungian archetypes, we discover Christ not just as the perfect archetype but as the embodiment of all archetypes — a unique figure in history who flawlessly encompasses every facet and persona. Pointing to His divine nature.
Looking through the lens of the modern world, this book becomes a valuable tool for contemplating how the narrative of Jesus, the Gospel, and scriptures can be communicated among the digital distractions, technological noise, and the relentless messaging that inundates our daily lives. I envision this book as a means for readers to connect with the various archetypes of Christ, nurturing a deeper understanding of their personal relationship with Him, the Gospel, and their individual faith journeys.
Furthermore, I aspire for this book to empower believers to navigate and communicate the Gospel across all mediums, piercing through the digital noise with impactful and effective messaging that conveys the hope of Christ to others.
The genesis of this project stems from my background in design and a career spanning over 15 years, during which I worked with some of the largest global brands. In this professional journey, where storytelling and branding are foundational to building loyal audiences, I found myself returning to my faith after years of drifting from biblical truth.
Reading the Bible as a desperate and broken man, facing hardship, loss, sin, confusion, and a profound need for answers, the scriptures spoke to me in a way entirely different from my childhood. The story arc of God’s redemption and deliverance, combined with historical and symbolic narratives leading to the saving grace of Christ, profoundly impacted my faith over the past few years.
It became apparent that my lens for interpreting the Bible was shaped by a career steeped in story, archetypes, and brand. In my opinion, the Bible is the greatest designed story I have ever encountered and constantly revisit. This realization prompted me to revisit the Bible multiple times, contemplating the profound impact these stories held in my life.
The book also addresses a critical observation of the modern church. It highlights how, in its pursuit of relevance, the church often becomes a remixed version of itself — distracted by production, programs, loud music, coffee, activities, lights, smoke machines, and expensive fashion. This distraction seems like a spiritual race to the bottom, leaving believers and those new to faith somewhat empty in their pursuit of truth in Jesus. The simplicity of the Gospel and words spoken by Jesus are all that we need to sustain the thirst every soul quenches for. This book is meant to illustrate the simplicity and power of the Gospel – pointing towards how Christ’s archetypal traits and personality is sufficient.
The essence of the book lies in its belief that the story of Christ holds true without the added accoutrements. It aims to serve as a map and tool, delivering, communicating, and preaching the stories of Christ through a lens specifically for the audience. Whether the Outlaw archetype resonates with an urban inner-city seeking relevance, the Innocent archetype appeals to a traditional rural community, or the Sage and Hero cater to intellectually minded individuals, the book recognizes the diverse forms of Christ’s perfect examples across all archetypes.
In conclusion, my hope is that this book becomes a complementary tool to the Gospel. I aspire for believers to discern the various perfections in Christ’s archetypes and recognize how His story is universal, speaking to everyone.
With warm regards,
Jordan Wayne Lee
Dedicated to Newton Hart Waldrop
1936 – 2023
In memory of my grandfather, a steadfast friend and devoted pastor, who spent 65 years ministering the gospel in the same Everett, Washington church. Unfortunately, I couldn’t share this book with him before he passed. This is a tribute to his lifelong dedication to preaching the gospel.