Mersault IS the only Christ we deserve

As an existentialist, it would make sense for Camus to feel this way. Camus described Mersault as a man who refuses to play the game. He doesn’t act how society expects him to act at his mother’s funeral, he doesn’t return Marie’s love, and he doesn’t even bother lying about his feelings while being interrogated. Because he believes that death is all that awaits us, he does not live fearing judgment from a higher being or from society. In a way, he is a better man than all of us because he isn’t lying to himself or conforming to the expectations of others. In general, people strive to be good. As a society we tend to differentiate right and wrong and live our lives around a set of morals. Essentially, we are trying to be Christ-like. Perhaps Camus is trying to say that we are all just living a lie. We don’t actually know what is right or wrong but we’ve been socialized to live and react to situations in a certain way. By conforming, we feel that we have a greater control over the absurd nature of life. This idea of Mersault being the only Christ we deserve reflects the idea that perhaps we should all live and learn from Mersault. It isn’t that we should all forget society’s rules and go murder people for the hell of it, but we should all rethink why we live the way we do. Regardless of whether or not we’re religious, we fear judgment because we judge others. As a result we conform and reject those who don’t. We give our lives meaning by striving to be good people in theory, yet in reality we are all just sinners. His statement is a critique of society's flaws. We do not deserve this supernatural, ‘perfect’ Christ. It is something that man could never live up to because we are so flawed. We are all a bunch of judgmental liars and we only deserve Mersault. (Ironically, or maybe naturally, Camus’ use of the word “deserve” is quite judgmental in and of itself)

side thought: Camus said that Mersault is the only Christ we deserve, but that doesn't mean he is the only Christ we should have. A world full of absurdists would be quite insane.

I feel like I’ve strayed from the text, so here are some Christ/Mersault comparisons:
Mersault, like Christ, does not judge others and instead, befriends those who society casts aside. Mersault knows and accepts that death is a certainty, just as Christ knows that he is placed on Earth to die. Neither feel the need to justify their behavior while on trial. Towards the end, both are hesitant. Mersault starts reflecting and wanting to live again; from what I understand, during his crucifixion, Christ asks God "why have you forsaken me" (although my interpretations may be totally wrong). In a way they both seem to lose hope in what they previously believed, but ultimately embrace their beliefs once again.