LIVING ROOM MEMORIES  230 

(April 8, 2009)

I’m reading The End of Religion by Bruxy Cavey, the pastor of The Meeting House, “a church for people who aren’t into church.” I’ve been reading quite a few books about Jesus’ radical nature and find them exciting.

The Christian church has gotten hung up on so many rules and traditions, most of them having nothing much to do with what Jesus was all about. Established religion was exactly what Jesus was so against when he lived among us. Remember what he thought about the Pharisees and the Saducees? Jesus challenged the status quo of the day. I believe he would challenge how some of our religions have turned out as well.

So many Christians have forgotten what Jesus stood for. They’ve forgotten who they’re supposed to be following. Too many think of their churches as holy ground where we should dress up and follow established ways of worshiping. Yet Jesus came to replace the Temple with only himself as the place where we encounter God.

Says Cavey:

“Jesus taught his followers to expect his own continuing presence to dwell, not within special buildings called churches, but within their relationships. He said that wherever two or three people gather together in his name he would be there with them. (Matthew 18:20) If you want to get close to me, says Jesus, get close to the people I love (see Matthew 25:31-46). Jesus seems to be saying that God’s presence is best experienced in the sacred space that exists between people when love is offered and received rather than in special buildings or pious places.”

I’m not so much against religion, per se, or different styles of worshiping. It’s just that people too often forget to act out the meat of Christ’s message: To love our neighbour and to love God. It’s all about love, isn’t it? Let us not forget to love each other.