Acts 17 tells the story of the Apostle Paul going to Athens, Greece, and sharing his understanding of Jesus as the Messiah. The story goes on, telling us that the people there were interested in hearing about this new faith, but that Paul was distressed by how many “gods” were represented as statues. Instead of screaming that they were going to hell, Paul found a place of common grace – he found an empty altar with the inscription, “to an unknown god.” He pointed to it and told them that the God he worshipped, while unknown to them, was the God of Jesus. He went on to explain what all of this meant, and when he told them about resurrection, some scoffed, while others expressed interest in learning more. Soon after, Paul left for another city.
No yelling – no insults – no condescension – just sharing the story with an invitation. Some did accept Jesus while others did not – some kept their religion while others changed their minds, just as Paul had. This is one of the aspects of American life that we inherited from Christianity, the idea that you can keep your religion and I can keep mine – that your rights end where mine begin – which I think means that we can’t use our religion to hurt others. I can attend the religious community of my choosing and you can make your choice. No one religion can hold sway over what I am allowed to do. When we begin to force a particular religion on others, we aren’t just violating the Constitution; we are taking a step towards being a theocracy. Like Iran, we use Scripture in dangerous ways, controlling women and attacking people we believe are going against God. My church welcomes LGBTQ people as equals; maybe yours doesn’t. Mind your own business and I will mind mine.
When Jesus challenged a rich man to give all of his goods to the poor and follow Him, the man decided not to because he was wealthy. The story doesn’t tell us that Jesus yelled at the man’s back that he was going to hell; in fact, as He gave the man this incredibly challenging offer, He loved him. Then Jesus told the crowd that attaining heaven for the rich is really hard work – like pushing a camel through the eye of a needle. If your religion is attaining wealth, you are free to practice it – as long as you don’t injure others in the process. Your right to be devoted to getting rich ends with my right to not be hurt by you. Worship any idol or god you want, but the moment you steal from me or injure me, you are in trouble. This is how I see the intent of the founders. Your keep your religion, and I’ll keep mine. To do otherwise isn’t just un-American – it’s un-Christian.
Prayer – Holy God, You have given us the freedom to be who we want to be – may others follow Your example. Amen.
Today’s art is “Prayer/Worship Works” by Michael Hanson.