Nevertheless, Jesus remains, for me, indispensable as an epitome of humanness. I believe he is a treasure intended for the whole human race. He is the property of the world. He was a Jew, not a Christian, and Christians do not own him. From Jesus, everyone can learn something of what it means to live faithfully in the teeth of the Powers That Be. They do no have to join the club first in order to get Jesus. They do not have to believe that Jesus is divine. Nothing is required in advance. If our task is to learn to be humane, Jesus the Jew can teach us. We can love him for it, honor him for it, and be grateful to him for it without having to worship him or to regard him as a god.
— Walter Wink, The Human Being