My Own Advice

I metaphorically banged my head against the blank page on which I was supposed to write today's post for nearly an hour trying to decide what to write about.  It seems, however, like everything I thought of would simply be a rehash of something I've already written.

That's when I started to realize the trend.

My best friend asked me about yesterday's post.  His question was whether or not I took my own "someday advice" with regard to a particular issue.  My honest answer was no.

I then did what I normally do.  I spent an unhealthy amount of time considering the philosophical ramifications of that statement.  I rarely take my own advice.  In fact, one could argue that the main person for whom I am writing that advice is myself.  Often times when I'm posting stuff talking about how people "should" act or live their life or something like that, I'm posting about things I would like to change about myself.

And my hope is that someday, I'll make those changes.  It seems I'm still haunted by that awful word.

I have to believe, however, that if I'm going through something or want to change something about myself, someone else out there is feeling the same way.  If you then apply the ultimately circular logic of all my arguments, there are other people out there that don't follow their own advice.  The question you have to ask yourself is very simple:  Do you?

When you tell someone that there is something they should do, are you actively trying to do that as well?  Here's the bigger question:  Does the fact that I often don't follow my own advice call the validity of that advice into question?

People have been debating that question for centuries.  Does a serial killer have any right to tell you not to hurt someone?  Is the town gossip a credible person to tell you that spreading rumors is wrong?  Does the fact that it is the town gossip telling you this mean that spreading rumors isn't wrong?

Ultimately, my view on the subject is something like this:

Many coaches used to be good players.  However, as the old saying goes, those who can't do teach.  I have met many a coach that cannot do the things they tell their players to do.  How many cross country coaches ride bikes along the course they force their runners to run?  How many lineman coaches could even get in a three-point stance?  Often, from what I've seen, some of the best coaches are people that can't necessarily do the thing themselves.  However, they do understand what it takes to do it.  They may not be able to shoot a three pointer, but they can tell you how.  Does the fact that someone can't lift a thousand pounds call into credibility the method by which they show others to lift?  Personally, I don't think so.

Obviously, since I'm giving the advice, I know how to make the changes I wish to make.  So why can't I make them?

I'm too damn comfortable.

How many times have you been sitting on a couch and thought, "Man, some chips would be awesome right about now!  But I'm way too comfortable to get up and go get them.  If I get up, even if I make it all the way to the kitchen and back, I won't be able to get back into this same comfy position!  There's no way!"

Ok, maybe I'm the only one who actually thinks through it that much, but I know I'm not the only one who refuses to change their situation, even in a positive way, because they are too comfortable with the way things are.

"Eventually, someone will walk by, and I can ask them to get me chips.  Then I won't have to get uncomfortable and I still get the chips!"

"Someday, I'll be able to make those changes without leaving my comfort zone!"

Someday.

I'm haunted by that awful word.

Someday

As I was rereading this post, I couldn't help but think of this song:

If Today Was Your Last Day

I was reading an interesting article/list-type thing.  In the interest of full disclosure, here's the page:

Life's Instructions

I found most of these little pieces of advice to be very helpful.  I found myself on more than one of them thinking to myself, "I would love to do that someday."  That's when I realized I say that a lot.  Also, I doubt if I'm the only one.  I've heard it from other people:

• "I'll go visit that place someday."
• "I'll write a novel someday."
• "I'll be on TV someday."
• "I'll tell that person how I really feel someday."
• "I'll follow my dreams someday."

I've found myself wondering quite a bit lately:  What if Someday was today?

Think about it.  Think back to all of the times you've ever said that you would do something someday.  What if you did all of those things today?  How great would it be if you were able to say and do all the things you've been putting off?  What if you got to visit that place?  What if you wrote that novel?  What if you made it on TV?  What if that person knew how you fell?  What if you were to follow your dreams?

Here's the better question:  What's holding you back?

I can tell you the thing that holds me back from doing the things that I say I will do someday is fear.  I'm afraid of the consequences of doing those things.  What if I run out of money because of this silly little thing?  What if that person doesn't feel the same way?  What if I fail?

Here's where my favorite question comes in:  So what if you fail?

I find myself haunted by the word someday.  Most of us think of it as some day way off in the future.  It's a day when we no longer have to worry about the consequences.

What if today is your last day?

What if Someday was today?

Three Simple Words

Obviously I'm not quite back into the rhythm of writing this every night.  I can assure you I will be doing my best to get back into the swing of things.  I cannot, however, assure you that these attempts will have any effect.

In the interest of giving you something to think about, I have three simple words on which you can dwell for days to come:

E.T. is Jesus.

It may sound ridiculous and crazy at first glance, but watch the movie again.  It makes sense.

Here are some things to think about as you watch E.T. and look for his messianic parallels:

• arrival from another world
• taken in by human family
• knowledge of universe
• healing powers
• death at the hands of government
• resurrection
• return to the world from which he came
• promise that he'll be "right here" [pointing at heart]

Still don't believe me?  Check out these images:

E.T. is Jesus.

Just something to think about.

Key Masters for Christ

I'm back everyone!!!

I got back from an awesome summer at camp about two weeks ago.  I realize I did a terrible job of posting over the summer, but I assure you, it was because I was working hard during the weeks and was completely and utterly exhausted on the weekends.  I had lots of fun and adventures that I may or may not tell you about, but now that I'm starting to get my feet back on planet Earth, I should be posting more often.

One thing about camp that's important to know is that it is very easy to tell who's got authority.  You can hear it in their steps as they walk up, and you can see it clear as day when they're in front of you.  This is because everyone with authority at camp has two things:  keys and a radio.  When you hear that jingling when they walk or that staticky sort of buzz from the radio, you know they're important.  When you see them with the radio on their hip or with keys dangling from their lanyard, you know they're in charge.

I often said over the summer that the real goal of the job is to get keys and a radio.  That's when you've reached a whole new bracket of awesomeness.

You want to know what's exciting that I just realized this week?  We've all already got keys and a radio!

In church on Sunday, the reading was from Matthew 16.  This is the passages where Peter acknowledges Jesus as the messiah and Jesus gets all excited and talks about building a church on his rock hard skull or something like that.  Anyway, what struck me as interesting was verse 19, just after all the rock stuff:

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Matthew 16:19 (NIV)

Now this passage (like so many others) has been interpreted many different ways.  Most often it is used in the context of Peter essentially being installed as the first pope.  This would imply that these keys to the kingdom are essentially giving the pope power over heaven and earth and ultimately gives credibility to papal bull and all that . . . [ahem] . . . stuff.  Martin Luther called this the Office of the Keys.  I'm pretty sure if you asked most Lutherans about the Office of the Keys, they would have no idea what you were talking about. 

I will be following the idea that these keys to the kingdom are available to anyone who wants them.  If you can't accept that premise, fine.  Accept that you don't have keys and move on to the part about the radio.  You just won't get to jingle when you walk.

At camp, people are given keys for a very simple reason:  to open things.  Most of the things that are locked up are either dangerous or valuable and, therefore, cannot be trusted to just anyone.  Key Masters at camp are usually more than willing to open just about anything you could want.  In fact, like I said earlier, the reason they have keys is to open things.  It's simply safer to have those things locked up.

If you have been given the keys to the kingdom, what are you supposed to do with them?  Open things!

Usually this passage is used in reference to forgiveness.  If that's the interpretation you want to take, that's fine.  You get to open people up to God so that they can let their sins lose and be free from them.  If you want to take it as the keys to heaven, that's fine.  You get to open the gates of heaven for people by opening their eyes and helping them see God's love.  It doesn't matter so much if your keys open people's eyes, their hearts, or the gates of heaven itself, the purpose of keys is to open things and make others' lives better!

Most Key Masters at camp (I only say most to leave room for some possibility I haven't thought of.  I really think this applies to all of them.) also have a radio.  A radio is important at camp because it means that you are able to communicate with other people without having to go and look for them.  Typically, in my experience, radios are used by people that are lower on the chain of command to ask advice or assistance from someone higher on the chain of command.  And typically, radios are used by people higher on the chain of command to give a job or make a request of someone lower on the chain of command.  I hope that made sense.

Let's think about this.  What in our faith lives sounds like a radio.  It allows you to communicate as though the person is right there . . . an underling asks advice and assistance from a superior . . . a superior gives jobs to and make requests of an underling . . . if you haven't figured it out yet, let me help you:

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."  Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)

Prayer is you radio!

You can call God and talk to him anytime as if he's right there.  You can ask him for advice or assistance.  However, just like with the keys, it is important to share your radio.  At camp, people with a radio are always willing to help those without a radio by calling people for them.  Since God offers everyone a radio, the important thing for you to do is to help them learn how to use it.

Key Masters, wielding their keys and radios like a boss, are some of the most helpful people at camp.  They have the tools to help you in ways others don't, but also have the responsibility to use those tools.  In the same way, you, a Key Master for Christ, have the tools for a relationship with God and eternal life with him.  However, you also have the responsibility to equip others with those tools.

Open doors for people.  Help them talk to their Superior.  Use those awesome, powerful tools that put you in a whole new bracket of awesomeness.

Use your keys and radio.

A More Complete Christ

This week for devotions one night with our kids, a fellow staff member and I played a sort of game called Hot Seat.  Basically, you sit in the seat and the kids are allowed to ask you anything.  In a typical setting, you would be required to answer any question they asked you about anything.  However, given our personnel policies, we reserved veto rights if we felt a question was inappropriate.

Afterward, we talked to them about the importance of building a relationship.  In order to build a relationship with someone, you have to talk with them and learn about them.  That's kind of what a relationship is.

God is very much the same way.  In order to build a relationship with him, you have to spend time with him and talk with him.  This means not only praying to him, but taking some time to listen and taking some time to just be around him.

Later on in the week, during a staff devo, we read from a devotional book about what it might would be like to be around the embodiments of certain things such as righteousness, hope, and compassion.  Generally, we decided that if these things were anthropomorphized individually, they would be a group of extremely annoying people that would be miserable to hang around with.  Then someone dropped the big question:

Isn't Jesus the embodiment of all those things?

The answer we came to was yes.  Jesus is indeed the embodiment of all those things.  But he's the embodiment of ALL those things.

So often when we talk about Jesus, we talk about him as if he's just one aspect of his being.  We look at him as healer, savior, brother, father, friend, judge, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, vending machine, etc.  We went on and talked about the fact that if we look at God as simply on part of him, then we are setting him up for failure.  If we look at him as a healer and he doesn't heal someone, we lose faith.  If we look at him as savior and someone is excluded from this salvation, we lose faith.  If we look at him as a giant cosmic vending machine (as many unintentionally do) and he doesn't grant our request, we lose faith.

How then do we go about viewing our God fully and completely?  Building a relationship.

When you meet a stranger on the street, you make snap judgements and develop an "identity" for them in your mind.  As you talk to them, you likely begin by learning of one aspect of their personality, then another, then another.  Eventually, you are able to view them as a full and complete person.

The only way to set ourselves up for anything other than failure is to be in relationship with God.  You have to get to know him through prayer, discussion, reading the Bible, and just spending time with him.  The more you get to know him, the more you realize how cool he is.  As you learn more aspects of his personality, you can start to truly view God as someone you could just hang out with.

The more you get to know him, the more you realize how cool he is.

God is really freakin' cool.

The Big Dipper

Apparently, when you get out of the swing of things, writing is a hard thing to do.  That's apparent, if by no other evidence, simply by the fact that I haven't written anything since I broke what little routine I had going.  Let's catch up a bit, shall we?

I'm working at a Lutheran church camp and having a blast!

That's about it.  For those of you who don't know, when we Lutherans do camp, we do it right.  This also means that those of us that have committed our summer to working as camp counselors have committed most of our lives for the summer.  Seeing as how I have no real life in the outside world to begin with, it's really not such a bad trade.

One of the things we do here is every night we do a devotion with the kids in our cabin.  As most of you know, I'm a firm believer in the idea that God is EVERYWHERE!!!  With that in mind, I took my kids out one night this week to look at the stars.  I had somewhat of an idea of what I was going to say, but I really kinda left it up to them to go wherever they wanted with it.  It continually amazes me what God can come up with when you open up some time to let him work.

I started by asking them to identify the North Star.  Not surprisingly, none of them did so correctly.  I then asked them to identify the Big Dipper.  Again, not surprisingly, almost all of them could.  I then showed them how the two stars furthest away from the handle of the Dipper point directly at the North Star.  After that, they had virtually no trouble finding it.

My original intention was to simply make the North Star into a metaphor for God.  It was really rather poetic.  In the constantly changing sky that is never the same from night to night, the North Star never moves and the entire sky moves around it.  Much in the same way, the world, whether it wants to admit it or not, moves around according to the will of a God that, as Hebrews 13:8 tells us, is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

As I was doing this devotion, however, I realized, with more than a little assistance from my kids, that the metaphor doesn't end there.  In order to find the North Star, they all used the Big Dipper.  The North Star is not the brightest or easiest to find star in the sky, but the Big Dipper is up for a majority of the year and is relatively easy to see.  None of my kids could find the North Star without the Big Dipper.  I can't find the North Star without the Big Dipper.

Our Bible Study here at camp is all about being a witness to the world.  One of our daily themes is "Live".  That day is all about how we can point people to God without actually telling them anything.  It's all about how everything we do can reflect God to the world in either a positive light or a negative light.

Think about the Big Dipper.  It doesn't descend from the sky, grab your head, jerk it toward Polaris, and scream, "THERE'S THE NORTH STAR!!!"  It just is what it is.  It sits there and naturally serves as a simple pointer to the star that for centuries has been a guiding light for lost travellers.  In the same way, if you are living your life for Christ, you will naturally and simply point to the brightest most wonderful guiding light in the cosmos.  You don't have to grab people by the heads and shove the word of God down their throats.  Sometimes, all you have to do is be the Big Dipper.

Sometimes, all you have to do is be.

Apocalyptic Summer

Well, despite what many people believed, foretold, and promoted, I'm still here to be unable to sleep even in light of the fact that I will be leaving for camp in five hours.  I must personally confess myself disappointed.  I was told that the rapture would come and I haven't seen a single dinosaur all day!!!

All kidding aside, though, I can't help but feel sorry for those that believed this was going to happen.  One of two things has to be going through their minds right now.  Either they are extremely embarrassed and disappointed that they were wrong, or they are a little concerned.  Think about it, if they still believe Christ came back today and brought all true believers with him to heaven, their continued presence on Earth would suggest that they were left behind.  Either way, that's some faith-shattering stuff!

I once read a quote from Martin Luther saying something along the lines of, "reason is the devil's whore."  This is one of many points of contention I have with Luther.  Sometimes reason is an important and powerful tool.  Prime example:  the rapture.

I finally heard how this guy came to his conclusion.  Basically he rectally derived several numbers, multiplied them together, and squared the result.  He then came to the conclusion that that was the number of days since Jesus's crucifixion until his return.  He also somehow found out that Jesus was crucified on April 1, 33.  I suspect that this date was also rectally derived.

Whether the rapture happened or not and whether or not the apocalypse has begun (in which case we are all doomed to endure about five months of pain and suffering before the world actually ends), I will be departing for camp in a few hours.  In light of the lack of internet availability, my blog will be becoming a weekly updated event.  My current plan is to update my blog at least once on the weekends.

If the apocalypse has begun, good luck to you all.  If you see or hear word of zombies, I highly recommend you head south.  Canadians have been waiting for the zombiepocalypse for years.  They are cold heartless monsters with no regard for human life who have been lulling us into a false sense of security with their cute little "eh"s and funny accents.  ;)

Music of the Curls

Has your mind ever been so full of ideas that you can't seem to get it to focus on any one thing?  That's kinda how my mind has been this week.  However, in the interest of giving you something interesting to look at, here's a song list I've been working on.  You don't have to listen to them all, but I think it's an AMAZING playlist.  These are some of my absolute favorite songs ever:

1. "Haven't Met You Yet" - Michael Bublé
2. "Handlebars" - Flobots
3. "Good Morning" - Chamillionaire
4. "Just Dance" - Lady Gaga
5. "SOS" - Mamma Mia!
6. "I Don't Wanna Be In Love" - Good Charlotte
7. "Don't Stop Believing" - Journey
8. "[AHEM] Off Song" - Reel Big Fish
9. "Thanks For the Memories" - Fall Out Boy
10. "Can I Have This Dance" - High School Musical
11. "Forget You" - Cee Lo Green
12. "The Middle" - Jimmy Eat World
13. "Take A Chance On Me" - Abba
14. "Big Yellow Taxi" - Counting Crows
15. "Shake It" - Metro Station
16. "Pray For You" - Jaron and the Long Road to Love
17. "Drops of Jupiter" - Train
18. "Why Should I Worry" - Oliver and Company
19. "Harder to Breathe" - Maroon 5
20. "Billionaire" - Travie McCoy
21. "Everytime We Touch" - Cascada

I'll apologize for anything in any of the videos.  I didn't actually watch most of them.  I was just getting them for the songs.

Yes, I chose the "Mamma Mia!" version of "SOS".  Yes, I realize Pierce Brosnan is not the greatest singer mankind has ever been blessed with, but I think his style really fits the song and I like this version significantly more than the original Abba version.  I think the male voice adds a lot.

With regards to #8, if you're offended by "bad" words, I'm sorry, but get over it.  There's no reason why certain words are bad and certain words aren't and anyone who tells you differently you can send to argue with me.  That's one of my favorite debates to have (which I will likely post about on here some day).

If you're surprised at all by "Big Yellow Taxi" being on here, you haven't been paying much attention to my posts over the last couple of weeks.

And, of course, no great playlist would be complete without the appearance of at least one Disney song.  Hence, the appearance of "Can I Have This Dance" (which is possibly the only song that can make me cry) and "Why Should I Worry" (which just makes me want to get up and dance around).






While I'm sitting here with the subject just staring me in the face, I'm gonna take a stab at a requested topic brought to you by my bestest friend.  Here's a song you should listen to to set the mood:

"Sell Out" - Reel Big Fish

Having spent a lot of time around people that could effectively be labeled "hipsters" (i.e. they think things are better simply because other people have not discovered them), I have heard much hate for the "mainstream".  HipsTerry (my archnemesis of the music genre) will tell you that all mainstream music sounds the same.  Basically, if everyone likes it, it's not original.

Terry will also tell you that there are several bands he hates because of some style problems.  These style problems include at least one band that he hates because they completely changed their style in order to become more popular and make more money and at least one band that he hates because they play several different styles of music.  Both of these style problems are absolutely WRONG as far as I'm concerned and are an insult to professional musicians as a whole.

Hating on the group that can't choose a style is easy to argue against.  They don't fit a mold, but if they are making it that way, they appeal to a larger audience and prove themselves to be better musicians.  DUH!

Changing your style in order to make more money is often called selling out.  This has some very negative connotations thanks to people like HipsTerry.  As far as I'm concerned, "selling out" is simply a negative phrase for adapting.  As I have ranted about with the church, everything and everyone must adapt to the ever changing world.

If you want to make it as a "rockstar", you're gonna have to do the same as they do in every entertainment industry:  fit what people want.  I'm sorry to tell you, if you want to be completely 100% true to your artistic style, there is a good chance you will never make it in the entertainment industry.  The public is so fickle that until you have made it big and are a household name, you cannot do whatever you want and have enough people like it to make a living.  I'm sorry.  It simply won't happen.

If you want to remain completely 100% committed to yourself and the type of music you love, music will only ever be a hobby.  You probably won't make it.  That's fine.  Music is a great hobby, but the truth is you cannot make it without "selling out".

I'm really quite afraid to think about the philosophical ramifications of that last statement.

Are you willing the sell out or are you simply interested in a hobby?

Paradise for a Parking Lot

Ok guys, here's the deal.  I'm leaving for camp in a week.  This week is already stressing me out, so I can't make any promises about when I'll get out the second part of "Rehumanizing the Christ".  I'll try to slip in a few insightful thoughts here and there throughout the next week but I can't make any promises.

In the wake of my preparations for camp, however, something came up.

I was trying to plan out when I was going to spend time with certain people before I leave.  As I was talking this out with my mom, she pointed out that one of the people I was trying desperately to make time with, I haven't really been particularly interesting in spending time with all semester.  We laughed about it and pointed out that this is similar to what happens with a lot of people.

As I thought about it some more, I thought about this morning in church.  Preach'rman called me and the other guy that's going to camp up to the front to pray over us before we left.  He then also asked that we stand at the back of the sanctuary with him and allow everyone else a chance to wish us well.  As an interesting side note, our closing hymn was "God Be With You Till We Meet Again".  While the people were all leaving and I was hugging all of them, I starting getting rather emotional.

Anyone that knows me very well will tell you that there are not many people in the world that I legitimately miss.  I can't honestly say that I think about most of those people from church during the week.  I'm sorry if any of you are out there reading this, but that's the truth.  However, as all these people were bidding me farewell, I could feel their love so strongly that it really started to get to me.

All this has, of course, reminded me of a song.  I've brought it up before, but it just seems WAY too appropriate to pass up:

"Big Yellow Taxi" by Counting Crows

I absolutely LOVE this song.  It is wonderful and has such a good message that is so true.

How often are we sitting in paradise and all we can think about is where we are going to park?  How many times in our life are we willing to pave paradise and put up a parking lot?

For me, I have to admit that this last year I have taken the people in my life for granted.  I know some of the most wonderful people in the world.  They are loving, fun, and just generally good people.  I don't know why I haven't made a point of spending more time with all of them.  I can tell you, however, that now that I'm not going to have the chance to spend time with them, I'm regretting not having spent more of my life with these absolutely amazing people.

The good thing about this is I haven't paved over my paradise.  Rather, I'm just moving from one paradise I've never really fully appreciated to one that I would consider the happiest place on Earth.

What's your paradise?  Have you paved over it?  If so, can it still be excavated?  If not, is there another right across the street you haven't taken the time to dance in yet?

Rehumanizing the Christ Part I

Through the course of time, views tend to change.  This applies to everything from relationships to politics to religion to what kind of foods taste good.  This is especially true with religion.  One of the major examples of this is portrayal of Jesus.

During Jesus life and shortly after his death, he was very much viewed as a man.  To the world, he was a man, so for the gospel writers, it was very important to highlight his divine nature.  Thus, they wrote their gospels such that Jesus seemed to be more than just a man.  They wrote their gospels so that his divine nature shown though bright and clear.

Nowadays, I believe the opposite has happened.

Since for the last two thousand years the only way we have learned of Jesus is through these gospels that were written to highlight his divine nature, I believe the world has managed to lose Jesus' humanity.  We as a collective whole have forgotten that Jesus was a man with friends and feelings and jokes and desires.  Many people have attempted to do things to highlight his humanity once again (such as the disturbing movie "The Passion of the Christ"), but I don't think many of them have hit the mark.

It's easy to see how Jesus is a man during his passion.  The gospels give enough information that you can get that feel just reading them.  The problem is finding the human Jesus in the rest of his life.  I have made it my personal mission to find as many points of humanity and relatability in the life of Jesus.

One of the first ones I found was with Peter.

In "The Gospel According to Biff", what I consider to be one of the few successful attempts at rehumanizing Jesus, Christopher Moore weaves together a hilarious (somewhat altered) story of Jesus.  In his version of the gospel, whenever Jesus walks on the water and asks Peter to join him, Jesus laughs as Peter begins to sink.  In this version, Jesus had never expected Peter to also walk on the water, but thought it would be funny to watch him try.

Personally, I love this version of Jesus, but I know other people wouldn't be happy while reading that.  Either way, it led me to my first personal humanization of Jesus:  nicknames.

Peter was not the "real" name of the disciple of Jesus.  His name was actually Simon.  Most people will tell you that Jesus "changed his name", but I disagree.  The gospels generally tell us that he was CALLED Peter, much the same way Elvis Presley is called the King (i.e. a nickname).

"The Gospel According to Biff" got me thinking that maybe Simon's nickname was not such a deep meaningful name as we have all thought.  What if "Peter" came from something else?  I personally believe that Peter could not swim.  Whatever Jesus' motives were in calling Peter out from the boat to walk on the water with him, Peter's inability to swim would make his stepping out of the boat an even more meaningful act.  It also explains where "Peter" came from:  he sank like a rock.

My dad as a teenager was given the nickname "Lightning" ironically because he was working too slow.  To this day, that is the name he is called by among my mom's family.  I like to think that this is how nicknames worked with Jesus too.  He gave them as a joke, then they stuck:

• Peter - originally Simon.  Peter means rock.  Simon couldn't swim, therefore he sank like a rock.
• The Sons of Thunder - originally James and John.  Several times in the gospels, they are shown arguing.  Likely this made lots of noise reminiscent to the sounds of thunder.
• The Twin - originally Thomas.  Since Judas had to point out Jesus to the guards that arrested him, likely at least one of his disciples looked a lot like him, as if they were twins.  Thomas looked almost frighteningly like Jesus and, therefore, was "the Twin".

I'm sure there were others, in reality, but those are the ones that I can find in the gospels.

Nicknames, however, are just the tip of the iceberg with a rehumanized Jesus.  I shall bring more to you later, but for now, consider this:

Do you believe God has a sense of humor?  If your answer was yes, doesn't that mean Jesus had a sense of humor?

With that in mind, reread some passages in the gospel with Jesus as a humorous person, possibly even a practical joker.  At the very least, it makes some of the more dull passages a bit more interesting.