One of the most common complaints against people involved in organized religion is that they don’t DO much. We might have lots of inner-focused activities, but outreach is less of a focus than in-reach. This isn’t true for all faith communities, but it sure does seem right for many. And this isn’t new – Jesus accused some of the Pharisees of being sparkly clean on the outside while being a cesspool on the inside. The first response that many people have is to give up on organized religion and find their own way to be with God – Spiritual, But Not Religious. Or they rebel and criticize, kind of like John the Baptist. I think that’s why he scared Herod and the religious elite so much – he decentralized Judaism, calling people to repentance and offering baptism away from religious buildings and Jerusalem. And when some of the religious elite found him, he yelled, “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?!?!” In other words – you aren’t welcome here, because you are the problem.
Jesus didn’t do that. He was circumcised in the Temple – His family visited there (and left Him!) – He taught in the Temple and Synagogues. Jesus was critical of the way His faith was practice, but He didn’t give up on the institution. He prayed in lonely places and told His disciples to do the same. He wandered around healing and casting out demons and teaching and sent His disciples/apostles out to do the same. Jesus wasn’t afraid to talk about God wherever He was, but I know of no circumstances in which He stood around screaming at people to repent. John did that, but he waited for people to come to him. Jesus practiced His faith in the community of believers, and He tried to fix what was wrong with it. Instead of seeing the value in this, His opponents ridiculed and tried to embarrass Him, and the government eventually murdered Him. As they had murdered John.
We are supposed to be Spiritual and Religious, and when we aren’t, we are being hypocritical. This is the problem so many people have with people who say they are faithful yet act in ways that are not. People who talk about making America a Christian nation (again?) when we exhibit very little behavior now or in our past that would support that claim. And I don’t want America to be a Christian Nation – I want Christians to be Christian and Jews to be Jews and everyone else to be whatever they choose to be. It is unpatriotic to do otherwise! The Church is, and always has been, an imperfect institution, and America is the same. We don’t leave when that happens – we stay and try to help it to be better. Spiritual but not Religious is a cop-out – Religious without being Spiritual is a shallow waste of time – Spiritual AND Religious makes us whole. And a little bit holy. That, I think, is being faithful.
Prayer – God, may our words and actions be one in Your service. Amen.
Today’s art is “Helping Hand” (1881) by Emile Renouf.