the luxury of religion
I can't tell you how many times I hear people talk about how much trouble they have fitting God into their lives... and I'm not referring to those that don't believe in God - I'm talking about the 'true believers'.
Religion, for so many people, is either like donuts or panadol: the former that you fit in after everything else is roughly in order and you can afford it to treat yourself; or the latter, where it is just a way of numbing and escaping current reality.
The majority of the adult population (at least the ones fully employed) seem to complain about how 'time-poor' they are already. Most people (Christians and otherwise) say they don't have time enough to pursue the things that make them truly happy (or do so, and find they have little time left over for other stuff). And the truth is, life as an adult, can be fairly full... especially if you're in a relationship, or to ramp it up more, with kids. Religion (Christianity, other faiths, sporting or other interests, etc) becomes an additional responsibility to fit into our already cramped iCal or Outlook calendar of appointments and events.
Maybe it's because young people have relatively so much time on their hands (if you're a young person, believe me you will increasingly look back each year you get older and wonder how much more time you used to have) that they are able to more accommodate becoming followers of Jesus into their lives - and so are less likely to hold on to it as they get older and more of 'life' takes over... until they get into late middle-age and 'life' starts to settle down again relatively speaking...
Listening to Christians talk, being Christian takes up a lot of time - especially if 'you do it right'. 'Church' (however you define or experience it) takes time. So does regular prayer time... and don't even talk about personal bible study. Then there's small groups, additional church ministry responsibilities, etc. All these things are seen as on-top-of-my-life, as externals, as luxury items for modern day-to-day survival. They are things people sacrifice - or fight against sacrificing as a statement for 'who they really are' (like obsessed footy fans). I have seen so many well-intentioned 'committed Christians' that will not sacrifice their Christian commitments of responsibilities, and yet confess just how taxing and tiring it is to still cram and juggle everything into their lives - and desperately dream of escaping this earthly existence; craving divine Ecstasy tablets to numb their reality; or hoping to fast-forward until a time when they have less responsibilities.
Most followers of Jesus know the right things to say about "God" and their faith - ie they can't live without God, life would have no meaning without Him, blah blah blah blah. But it's a bit like listening to their favourite band - they like it when they experience it, but they can also survive without it for quite a while when it came down to the crunch.
We all experience brokenness of some sort in our lives - whether it is regrets over things done or not done; injuries or hurts suffered; loss of body parts or innocence, hopes or dreams. We all survive living life somewhat dimmed from 'its full potential'. Life without God on a permanent or more temporary basis - can and does go on - for people. We kid ourselves when we fall into Christian cliches of saying we will never go on living without Christ in our lives - because for the majority of Christ followers - it seems like that is exactly how they live. And I am not exempt.
Maybe that's why the post-this-life possibility of another life is so attractive...
Maybe that exists... but I think if we're going to get a real handle on being followers of Jesus, we've got to avoid thinking of our life with Christ as donuts, or panadol, or even an after-life holiday retirement village.
Following Christ isn't about what it does for your life after all... isn't it suppose to be about God's purposes? Isn't it suppose to be about us dying and giving it all away (slowly back away... this sounds like suicide cult thinking)? Isn't it about the fact that our lives are no longer ours? (No disclaimers following... no matter how comforting it would be to soothe your self-centred western hedonistic individualism).
Jesus talks a lot about following him involves embracing suffering - not escaping it. We have to suffer... not because we are masochists... but because we know that existence isn't good enough for everyone in it.. and the only way it's going to get better is if more people sacrifice what the world considers a 'good life' in order to help bring about the new world order... and time is short... not because the tv show we call life is about to be cancelled and replaced by another better rating show... but because the more we are inactive or only make feeble attempts, the more we shake our puny fists at God and say your way isn't the right way... and that the downtrodden, neglected, hurting, etc can wait until the next commercial break before others even think about doing anything to help them.
Until we see that the world needs the Kingdom of God urgently, we are living lives pursuing the non-God dream of consumeristic pain-free utopia surrounded by shiny gadgets and distractions to reality... where the gospel of Paris Hilton exerts a greater influence on our lives than any other gospel. Unless this is the lens in which we view our world and our lives, religion will always be a luxury item like donuts and ice cream, or panadol to help us survive the stresses of a 'real life' (where God value-adds to our lives rather than be the centre of it).
Is the joy God promises us is to always be in the midst of fantasy music-filled victory rallies, or being thankful for the little blessings in our lives? Or is the joy of God more about seeing his dream becoming increasingly real around us? Why aren't we selling more the real message that following Jesus involves joy through and with suffering - rather than the more la-la-land message that Jesus will help you to overcome your suffering?
When I talk with Christian youth and adults, I can't offer them anything to make their lives 'better' from their perspective - to feel less stressed in the midst of the current lives, or promise that life will become smoother for them. In fact, many of those that know me well, think I'm being sarcastic whenever I even try to say things like that. They know I see them as individuals, and would never presume that I expect them to use my life as a blueprint to follow (they know I expect them to sort our their own future with God) and where ever God takes them that there is joy in becoming more like Christ... but it is a future where suffering is part and parcel of life... where faith is a necessity, not an add-on like a car DVD-player or donuts...
Hmmm, donuts...
Religion, for so many people, is either like donuts or panadol: the former that you fit in after everything else is roughly in order and you can afford it to treat yourself; or the latter, where it is just a way of numbing and escaping current reality.
The majority of the adult population (at least the ones fully employed) seem to complain about how 'time-poor' they are already. Most people (Christians and otherwise) say they don't have time enough to pursue the things that make them truly happy (or do so, and find they have little time left over for other stuff). And the truth is, life as an adult, can be fairly full... especially if you're in a relationship, or to ramp it up more, with kids. Religion (Christianity, other faiths, sporting or other interests, etc) becomes an additional responsibility to fit into our already cramped iCal or Outlook calendar of appointments and events.
Maybe it's because young people have relatively so much time on their hands (if you're a young person, believe me you will increasingly look back each year you get older and wonder how much more time you used to have) that they are able to more accommodate becoming followers of Jesus into their lives - and so are less likely to hold on to it as they get older and more of 'life' takes over... until they get into late middle-age and 'life' starts to settle down again relatively speaking...
Listening to Christians talk, being Christian takes up a lot of time - especially if 'you do it right'. 'Church' (however you define or experience it) takes time. So does regular prayer time... and don't even talk about personal bible study. Then there's small groups, additional church ministry responsibilities, etc. All these things are seen as on-top-of-my-life, as externals, as luxury items for modern day-to-day survival. They are things people sacrifice - or fight against sacrificing as a statement for 'who they really are' (like obsessed footy fans). I have seen so many well-intentioned 'committed Christians' that will not sacrifice their Christian commitments of responsibilities, and yet confess just how taxing and tiring it is to still cram and juggle everything into their lives - and desperately dream of escaping this earthly existence; craving divine Ecstasy tablets to numb their reality; or hoping to fast-forward until a time when they have less responsibilities.
Most followers of Jesus know the right things to say about "God" and their faith - ie they can't live without God, life would have no meaning without Him, blah blah blah blah. But it's a bit like listening to their favourite band - they like it when they experience it, but they can also survive without it for quite a while when it came down to the crunch.
We all experience brokenness of some sort in our lives - whether it is regrets over things done or not done; injuries or hurts suffered; loss of body parts or innocence, hopes or dreams. We all survive living life somewhat dimmed from 'its full potential'. Life without God on a permanent or more temporary basis - can and does go on - for people. We kid ourselves when we fall into Christian cliches of saying we will never go on living without Christ in our lives - because for the majority of Christ followers - it seems like that is exactly how they live. And I am not exempt.
Maybe that's why the post-this-life possibility of another life is so attractive...
Maybe that exists... but I think if we're going to get a real handle on being followers of Jesus, we've got to avoid thinking of our life with Christ as donuts, or panadol, or even an after-life holiday retirement village.
Following Christ isn't about what it does for your life after all... isn't it suppose to be about God's purposes? Isn't it suppose to be about us dying and giving it all away (slowly back away... this sounds like suicide cult thinking)? Isn't it about the fact that our lives are no longer ours? (No disclaimers following... no matter how comforting it would be to soothe your self-centred western hedonistic individualism).
Jesus talks a lot about following him involves embracing suffering - not escaping it. We have to suffer... not because we are masochists... but because we know that existence isn't good enough for everyone in it.. and the only way it's going to get better is if more people sacrifice what the world considers a 'good life' in order to help bring about the new world order... and time is short... not because the tv show we call life is about to be cancelled and replaced by another better rating show... but because the more we are inactive or only make feeble attempts, the more we shake our puny fists at God and say your way isn't the right way... and that the downtrodden, neglected, hurting, etc can wait until the next commercial break before others even think about doing anything to help them.
Until we see that the world needs the Kingdom of God urgently, we are living lives pursuing the non-God dream of consumeristic pain-free utopia surrounded by shiny gadgets and distractions to reality... where the gospel of Paris Hilton exerts a greater influence on our lives than any other gospel. Unless this is the lens in which we view our world and our lives, religion will always be a luxury item like donuts and ice cream, or panadol to help us survive the stresses of a 'real life' (where God value-adds to our lives rather than be the centre of it).
Is the joy God promises us is to always be in the midst of fantasy music-filled victory rallies, or being thankful for the little blessings in our lives? Or is the joy of God more about seeing his dream becoming increasingly real around us? Why aren't we selling more the real message that following Jesus involves joy through and with suffering - rather than the more la-la-land message that Jesus will help you to overcome your suffering?
When I talk with Christian youth and adults, I can't offer them anything to make their lives 'better' from their perspective - to feel less stressed in the midst of the current lives, or promise that life will become smoother for them. In fact, many of those that know me well, think I'm being sarcastic whenever I even try to say things like that. They know I see them as individuals, and would never presume that I expect them to use my life as a blueprint to follow (they know I expect them to sort our their own future with God) and where ever God takes them that there is joy in becoming more like Christ... but it is a future where suffering is part and parcel of life... where faith is a necessity, not an add-on like a car DVD-player or donuts...
Hmmm, donuts...
posted by Andrew Chua @ 8:50 AM
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