When this song from REM became a hit in 1991, I had never heard the phrase before. I remember, though, that a lot of people lost their you know what over it – another assault on God! they screamed. Like so many songs that came before (and since), they didn’t understand the meaning – they didn’t actually listen to the words – they just self-righteously threw tantrums like pious toddlers wanting their babas. I loved this song, so I wanted to know more about it. What I – and the rest of us – learned was that the phrase is a Southern term for being at one’s end of one’s proverbial rope. It means being so frustrated that you might say or do something that is outside of your moral limits. It, like so many terms, is a metaphor.
But what about those who have actually lost their religion? It has been part of the downswing in religious practice in Europe and North America, this loss of religious activity. This doesn’t mean we lose our faith in God. The large majority of Americans still believe in some higher power, but not the organizations that represent the Almighty. Even the term “Almighty” has become questionable, considering the way the world is running these days. There are a lot of reasons one might lose one’s religion; spiritual, physical, and sexual abuse – mean behavior of people in the pews – challenges of one’s priorities and use of time – unanswered prayers – these are just a few of the reasons I have heard over the years, and most of them are understandable.
Almost 300 years ago a Moravian preacher named Peter Bohler told John Wesley, “Preach faith till you have it; and then, because you have it, you will preach faith.” Wesley had become discouraged over a number of failures in his ministry, but after this, his heart was “strangely warmed”, and he founded – quite by accident – what became the Methodist Church. Mother Teresa, one of history’s examples of great faithfulness, had a long and desperate crisis of faith which we only found out about after she died. Faith isn’t a straight line; it is more like a roller coaster. We all have doubts and questions and struggles. We all go through peaks and valleys; from grief over the death of a loved one to joy over God’s magnificent creation. One of the reasons I love the church is that I find a sense of community in the midst of loss and struggle. I have never fully lost my religion, but I have had times when I was on my last nerve (another metaphor).
When we are at our best, faith communities serve God and their communities with joy, expressing love in outward ways. When we are at our worst, we become private clubs that turn inward. No faith community is perfect; after all, they are all made up of flawed people like you and me. I think we have been taught a flawed idea of God. We have been made to believe that God will cover us in metaphorical bubble wrap so we will never get hurt. That could not be farther from the truth. As flawed as we and our congregations are, they are also places of grace where God’s love shines. Don’t give up. Without communities of faith that care and do good, the world would be far worse. And then we actually would lose our religion.
Prayer – Thank You, God, for inspiring us to be Your people, so that a small glimpse of You can be seen in the world. Amen.
Today’s art is “Mural 4” by Faith 47 from Cape Town, South Africa. They are an internationally renowned artist whose work is committed to social issues.