Don't Give Me A Religion

Religion can be easy. And it can be easy because of what it may demand from us. Christianity, on the other hand, isn’t easy. It is difficult because it demands a lot more than we want to offer, it demands a lot more than we want to tolerate, it demands a lot more than we want to take on, and it demands the kind of sacrifice which is only possible if we are in tune with the sufferings of the cross.

If you remember, one of the requests that was made to Jesus by the Jewish authorities at the foot of the cross was ‘If you are the son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe in you.’ The authorities were so confounded that Jesus would take upon himself the shame and horrific pain of the cross. It didn’t make sense to them. "Why would he suffer over a claim that was not true?" they may have asked themselves.



The point the authorities sought to make was that the suffering was not worth it, and that the best way to relieve themselves of it was to take their bait. But would they have truly believed in him if he had come down from the cross? I don't think so.

What distinguishes Jesus the Christ from all others is that he embraced the world’s hatred, suffering, indignities, spite, anger, and disgrace all to himself on the cross. The gem here is that it is through this very holy act that Christ refuses to give us a religion, more so, a religion of comfort.

Christianity has never been a religion, and those who have used Christianity as a religion do so only to gratify their individual selves. Those people find ways through which they can use Christianity to pursue an agenda which isn’t only depraved but is diametrically opposed to the core of being Christian - which is a crucified love.

One such agenda that has been worrying is the growing scourge of Christian nationalism-the idea that America was founded as a Christian nation, or America is supposed to be a Christian nation, or the government should favor Christianity. I have no doubt that if the Founding Fathers had wanted to create a Christian nation, they would have gladly done so. What we tend to forget is that some of the Founding Fathers were themselves descendants of people who were persecuted by the state for their religious beliefs. That history about the extent to which the state could use religion to pursue an unholy agenda was not lost on them.

Here are some features of an unholy agenda in religion, or of a religion without suffering. It is turbulent. It coerces people into a uniform belief system. It believes in the superiority of one human being over another. It drowns out dissent through violence. It is intolerant of divergent views. It rejects one’s freedom to choose. It suppresses women. It devalues human dignity. It is tribal. It is myopic. It is greedy. It corrupts us in unfathomable ways.

For these reasons, we don’t need it. And because we don’t need any of it, we must always strive to draw a line between religion and Christianity - the kind which embraces crucified love.

This is my prayer: please don’t give me religion; I have that in abundance. Give me Christianity, that way of life which conquers any semblance of religion in me and helps me identify with the cross.

The truth is, Christianity is an identity to be received, not achieved. Christianity establishes the value of acceptance. And it is our acceptance by God that creates in us the desire and longing to also be crucified, just like our Savior Jesus Christ.

Christianity transcends any of our religious instincts because to be a Christian is to bear the marks of our own crucifixion. According to A.W. Tozer, there are three marks of the crucified: 1. They are facing only one direction. 2. They can never turn back. 3. They no longer have any plans of their own.

This past week I received an email from the Christ Church Interfaith Refugee Ministry, reminding us about the 5th anniversary of the US departure from Afghanistan, and the fallout from that decision. Ann Barnes spoke passionately about the ministry's work during last Sunday's worship.

As you may recall, the departure of the US from Afghanistan led to an influx of Refugees from Afghanistan. In response, Christ Church formed the Refugee Ministry, which is now a coalition of about 16 congregations from diverse faith traditions. The ministry, which started with one family, is now supporting 14 families.

The interesting part of the email was a list of parishioners who are responsible for the life-giving work of ministry to Refugees.

The beauty of their work is that it is devoid of religion - that very thing which the Jewish authorities so desired and yearned for but which Jesus refused to offer to them.

Surprisingly, some of us want the same thing - we want a religion. But in just the same way that Jesus didn’t give it to the Jewish authorities, he refuses to give it to us. This is not only because we don’t need it but because it has no value. I believe that our value lies in our willingness to offer ourselves up to be crucified, for it is through our crucifixion that we experience a God who loves us with the same amount of intensity with which He loved the only begotten son.

If you have experienced this crucified love in your own life, in the life of the people you know or may not know, and you find yourself at Christ Church, then what Christ Church is doing is what you can do.

Remember this: you cannot just take and receive ministry; you have to give ministry, do ministry, engage in ministry. You have to volunteer, you have to give, you have to share, and you have to serve - that is what a crucified love looks like.

Believe that there are some hands that only you can hold, believe that there are some hearts that only you can comfort, believe that there are some people that only you can reach, believe that there are some needs that only you can respond to, and believe that there are some hugs that only you can give.

Don't stop yourself.

Christianity without the cross is a religion. Christianity with the cross is identical to crucified love - it is giving while living. 

Blessed Summer, 

Manny+