Quite a few times over the years I’ve been a minister, I’ve had conversations with people who are always keen to point out that they aren’t religious. This has often been when I am meeting a family to discuss the funeral arrangements for a relative. “I’m not religious but mum was.”
And I’ve long pondered what people mean by “religious” or “not religious”.
The dictionary tells us that:
Religion is belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this belief, such as praying or worshipping in a building such as a church or temple.
Therefore, someone who is religious follows the teachings and practices of a religion.
I can see that. I don’t know about you, but from time to time I’ve encountered people who would claim to be religious, or others would see them as religious, but they do not exemplify what it means to be a follower of their faith.
The American humourist Garrison Keiller once said:
“Anyone who thinks sitting in church can make you a Christian must also think that sitting in a garage can make you a car.”
Had the writer of the Letter of James been around in the time of the car, it is something he could have said. As clearly for James, disciples of Christ must live out their faith, practise it.
27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27
This verse is a neat summary of James’ theology or how James thinks about what it means to be a disciple of Christ. A follower of Christ. The verse is also a neat summary of what one feature of the Christian religion is about – love of neighbour.
Jesus’ teachings were crystal clear on this point. As laid out for example in Luke 10 – the Parable of the Good Samaritan. And in John’s Gospel too:
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 New International Version (NIV)
For James then, to be a true member of the Christian religion means loving our neighbour and loving one another. James expresses it specifically by referring to the care of orphans and widows in their distress. (Probably a specific issue for the early church.)
I’m not saying anything revolutionary. Nevertheless, it’s worth being reminded of it. To be a member of the Christian religion we must love other people in a Christlike way.
Coming back to my point earlier about people saying they are not religious. When this has come up in conversation I’ve often asked, “Why aren’t you religious?” For some there is outright atheism.
But for others, the reason they are not "religious" is because they have seen the behaviour of some people who claim to be Christians. Or they have been on the receiving end of inappropriate behaviour from people who say they are Christians.
Once again, the Catholic church has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently due to the scandal of physical and sexual abuse of children. In Ireland, in Pennsylvania, in Australia.
Such immoral and illegal behaviour turns people away from being followers of Christ. And let’s face it, tars all of us with the same brush.
Mahatma Gandhi was very knowledgeable about the teachings of Jesus although Gandhi was a Hindu. Gandhi once said:
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
All too often that is how it can seem to those outside the church looking in. We preach loving our neighbour, caring for widows and orphans and the sick and the poor. But then we demonstrate the complete opposite of these things.
American minister John Pavlovitz put it this way:
“Sometimes the best evangelism is simply telling people you’re a Christian and then not being a complete jerk!”
Christians aren't perfect. If we were perfect we wouldn't need forgiveness for our sins. But as Christians we should try to the uttermost to care for others, not to harm others and to keep ourselves "from being polluted by the world"
Be a true Christian not a jerk!
