So as I was having a conversation with a friend over coffee the other day, we got on the subject of atheism, people who are agnostic, (or believe something completely different than either one of us believe), and the whole conversation got me thinking.
I have a different friend who is pretty agnostic. Everything to them is "religion"...nothing is a relationship. And then I started thinking about it. What I believe is the only relational "religion" (ick, that word just makes me want to call it a cuss word) I can think of. I mean, seriously, tell me another "religion", or belief system if you will, that characterizes the interaction between the "deity" and the humans as relational...I can't think of any. In most religions and cultures, if you do not believe a certain thing or act a certain way or pray a certain prayer, your doomed. And you are not to think of that deity as a loving, compassionate, caring father...but rather a dictator who you have to worship and you have to pray a certain prayer to. And on top of that certain prayer, that certain title, that certain worship...you also have to fear. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we shouldn't fear God, and we shouldn't pray certain prayers, and we shouldn't act a certain way. That's not at all what I'm saying. But to be honest, if that's all there was to "Christianity" and faith, I'm sorry to say I'd want nothing to do with it either, as so many from this generation are doing now. But we as Christians have a relationship with God...a personal, intimate, spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ. How amazing is that? God is all about relationship; why else would He send us His son to walk and talk with us, and show us the way, the truth and the light? Why else would Jesus Christ Himself be willing to die on the cross for what we, 2000 years later, would do? Jesus was only on earth for 33 years, yet he died for the sins of countless ages!!! All because he wants a relationship with us. Name a religion where the "deity" (and I'm only using that term for lack of a better one) was as self-sacrificing as that...name a religion where the deity craved relationship just as we crave it...
In the midst of talking about this, we also strayed onto the topic of judgmental Christians, something that I find appalling (and ironically, what the sermon is about at my church this week). I was listening to a sermon from Mosaic in LA, and Eric, one of the pastors there quoted a verse that sums up exactly what I feel about this topic.
"I'm praying not only for them
But also for those who will believe in me
Because of them and their witness about me.
The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—
Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
So they might be one heart and mind with us.
Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.
The same glory you gave me, I gave them,
So they'll be as unified and together as we are—
I in them and you in me.
Then they'll be mature in this oneness,
And give the godless world evidence
That you've sent me and loved them
In the same way you've loved me."
That is John 17:20-23 of The Message Bible. There is so much in those three verses. One, Jesus is praying to His father, and our Heavenly Father as well. But what he is saying is that the church, the entire church and kingdom of God, will become one body and speak one truth and love God and show that love to those around them. "Then they'll be mature in this oneness, and give the godless world evidence That you've sent me and loved them i the same way you've loved me" WOW! If only certain churches would follow this. It drives me crazy that certain Christians can be so judgmental of people who believe something different than what they believe. (Okay, so what I started off with about relationship may seem judgmental, but I'm only stating an observation. I've known many people from many different religions, and I love them all. Almost everyone that I have had strong disagreements with and arguments with were people that have the same beliefs as me).
There was an incident a while back at an event where a group of people was told not to associate with another group of people for various reasons I'm not going to go into. But this was not told in a warning way of "I'm begging you as a friend, please don't do this". It was said in an attacking, belligerent, spiteful and vengeful way...you know, Christlike behavior, right? (at a "Christian" event.) When I heard this, I was shocked that i actually knew people who were actually concerned with what this person had said, and were wondering "Oh my, I wonder if I should even associate myself with that person anymore. So and so said we shouldn't even talk to them." Of course, followers of Christ should never talk to another follower of Christ who believes something different....only people that go by certain books. In the same message that Eric talked about the John passage, he spoke about an event that was at Mosaic last year. Every year, Mosaic hold a conference titled "Origins" which I hear is an amazing, life-changing experience. Now Irwin McManus, (The Barbarian Way Check out the Mosaic podcast...there are some amazing messages) one of the most brilliant and amazing authors in my opinion, gets a lot of crap from people because of his rash statements and his totally out-of-the-box thinking...but his thinking makes sense. Anyway, on the day before the last day of the conference, Eric found a letter on an Irwin-bashing blog that talked about how "an informant at the Origins conference..." had said that Irwin said such and such and how horrible it was. Eric decided to go ahead and give it to Irwin so he could just see it. The next day, Irwin did something shocking. He read the letter out loud...on stage...at the conference...then followed by saying "If the 'informant' of this letter is still sitting here in this audience, just know that you're still welcome here...and I hope that you've felt loved and welcomed and encouraged even in your ministry." How much more Christ-like could the event that I was talking about been if something like this had been said instead of "Christian-bashing" by other Christians?? My gosh! How dare we as Christians say we're better than anyone else? How dare we pick apart other Christians and say that they're evil and we should have no part in them? Even if there is a belief system that is horrible, how dare we disassociate ourselves with that group and demand that others do the same? My gosh, it was the type of people who act unloving that Jesus tested (the pharasies, religious leaders of the time). No, instead, Jesus was loving to those who were loving, and harsh on those who acted harshly. If we are going to continue talking down other religions and other denominations other than our own, and demand that our way is the only way because we know we're right and everyone else is doomed, why would anyone in their right mind want to follow a group of people so intent on leaving others out?
