What Is So Wrong About Religion Anyway?

On my plane ride back to Atlanta from LA, I sat next to an older gentleman who is a pastor of a church in south Atlanta. He told me how "he found Jesus" and then talked at me for a long while about his church and finally asked me if I knew "him". He then said, "You see, I don't have a religion, I have a relationship." I have heard this said again and again, and if the dude had seemed remotely interested in anything I might have to say, I would have questioned him on it. Alas, he was more impressed with his own voice, than with mine.

Don't even get me started on his little tale of how "he found Jesus". Dude was so lost he couldn't see a hand in front of his face, but somehow he "found Jesus". Don't get me wrong, it was neat to hear his story and about his life, and it was neat that he took the opportunity to share with me. But had I not been a believer, I don't think his approach would have done anything for me. Even being a believer, his approach didn't do much for me.

What struck me, and has irritated me for a couple of weeks was that he said he had a relationship, NOT a religion. I have heard this said a lot, I remember it being said when I was in high school. I liked the saying back then, but now, it bugs the crap out of me. I get the idea...that it is personal. Unfortunately, God is so much more than personal. Salvation is about me in a sense, scripture is filled with references to how God chooses and saves. That is a very personal thing. Fortunately all of redemptive history did not begin and end with me. Redemptive history began with creation and will end when Jesus returns. I am a part of that, but not the only part.

Webster's definition of religion is: (1) the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance. OK, nothing wrong there. It also connotes traditions and an establishment or institution. I think this is where people get all bent out of shape, as if all religious traditions are empty and vain. Throw out the hymns, and the liturgy, anything that dates before the first Billy Graham crusade. I suppose if we were really to take this seriously we would stop baptism, and communion...oh wait, some churches have already done that. And I guess we will have to throw out church as well, because it is an institution and establishment, but wait that has been done as well.

What I should have said to that man was, you can keep your relationship and I will keep my religion. Christianity is about being part of redemptive history. I am connected to the church, historical and eternal. My relationship with Jesus is about me, but that is just a small, small part of it. It is about Jesus Christ saving and redeeming his bride, the church. The church began with Adam and continues to this day. We shouldn't throw out things because we think they might be empty rituals, we should admit our sin and ask God to speak to us in a new way through the traditions and instituions that he established and loves.