On Religions and Relationships
1,000 Word Spring | Day Three
And the clock steadily turns into Day Three of 1,000 Word Spring… Welcome back. Two days is quite a small sample size, but this has been really good for me so far. I hope you’re enjoying it, too. Today I have something a little different for you.
I’d like to share some thoughts on a 10+ year old spoken word video produced by Jefferson Bethke. He produced several other spoken word videos on various topics, but this is the one that really launched his popularity, and he capitalized on it. I think he’s written a couple books now, does various speaking engagements, and hosts a podcast with his wife, which I have enjoyed from time to time. Maybe you remember the video and maybe you don’t, so I’ll link it below either way. The video currently has 35 million views, so that gives you a sense of the reach.
Disclaimer: my intention here is not to run the man down, but is instead to offer some counterpoints. I hope to challenge your thinking when you read, watch, or hear edgy and pithy hot takes online. Doug Wilson is fond of saying that the real battle of our time, especially in evangelical circles, is who gets to be the general editor of the dictionary. The clarity of our definitions is important when we speak or write, because it changes what the audience takes away from our words.
The format here will be a little different. Talking points from the video will be bold and italic, but might be more paraphrased than exact quotes. I encourage you to watch the video for yourself, because I think you’ll learn a lot.
What if I told you that voting Republican wasn’t Jesus’ mission because Republican doesn’t automatically mean Christian?
Obviously. Jesus never said that was his mission, and of course Republican doesn’t automatically mean Christian. But that doesn’t negate the importance of what party platforms encourage and venerate. That stuff matters.
I mean, if religion is so great, why has it started so many wars?
As Frank Reagan said on a recent episode of Blue Bloods, “Oh, come on. My grandson’s hamster could make that argument. You can do better than that.”
Religion never gets to the core, it’s just behavior modification, like a long list of chores.
This comes across as an excuse to not participate in your own behavior modification. Scripture has another word for this: sanctification.
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor…”
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4
Sounds like behavior modification to me. Behavior modification does not save you. Only Christ does that. But it’s still expected, and no amount of edgy phrasing will change that.
I love the Church, I love the Bible, and yes I believe in sin… But if Jesus came to your church, would they actually let Him in?
What do these lines have to do with each other? It’s true that many churches today would struggle with the real Jesus, so I’ll give him that. But I’m not sure that idea fits logically with the point he’s trying to make. As my pastor is fond of saying, be wary when people say something like “I believe _____, but…” This is more stuff that is very Tweetable but lacks a lot of nuance and context.
Jesus and religion are on opposite spectrums.
Are they, though? Jesus is on opposite spectrums with dead, faithless religion. The blind religion of the Pharisees was separate from everything Jesus is about. But again, Jesus didn’t abolish the religion He was about, He founded it. He fulfilled it in a way that they and we never could.
Religion says “slave,” Jesus says “son.”
Peter and Paul refer to themselves as servants of Christ, and the more accurate translation of the Greek term is slaves. Does that make them somehow not sons of Christ? No, it doesn’t. It’s both. They’re not mutually exclusive.
Religion puts you in bondage; Jesus sets you free.
Sets you free to what, exactly? You’re free from the bondage of trying to save yourself by works, which is something you cannot do, sure. But you’re set free to live in the freedom that Christ bought for you, not to do as you please. See The Law of Liberty… This is why definitions are important!
Religion is man searching for God; Christianity is God searching for man.”
So, what is Christianity, then? Is it not a religion? It’s not a man made religion. Sinful men may have given it some structure and organization, but they did so under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. They didn’t just make it all up as they went along. Again, in one sense this is correct. Searching for God on your own isn’t going to save you. But the way this line is written presents a false binary. Christianity is a religion.
I pray that you see the main point I’ve tried to make here. The actions of some men in the name of religion don’t give us license to tear down the whole concept. The are still many benefits to organized religion, but only when the religion is pure and undefiled. You can hate false religion and love Jesus, but not true religion. So, what is true religion? Well, now we’re getting into apologetics, and the question remains: what are the definitions? By what standard?
Religion, on its own, cannot save you. You are saved only by the grace and mercy of God that is a prerequisite of a personal relationship with Jesus. But think about it: once you have the relationship, how do you cultivate it?
You cultivate your relationship with Christ through religious practices. You pray regularly. You read and study your Bible. You meditate on what it says. You obey it. You memorize Scripture. You confess sin. You join a congregation of fellow Christians and commit yourself to worship there regularly, or religiously. Today, we call these things spiritual disciplines. I’m not knocking that. I’m just asking why we’re okay with encouraging spiritual disciplines but discouraging “religion.” Why should we be dismayed at research finding that many people no longer understand the reason for church membership, don’t deem corporate worship to be of any value, or don’t practice regular prayer, Bible reading, or confession of sin? Why would people do all that when they can just have a personal relationship with Jesus that doesn’t require them do actually do anything to cultivate that relationship?
Lastly, I want to make a point about the medium of Bethke’s message. If you have some extra time, here’s an interesting exercise for you. First, watch the video. After you finish, give yourself 5-10 minutes. Eat a snack or something. Then, read the transcript of the poem, linked here. Do you notice a difference in your response to the content? I’d argue the reason for that lies in the presentation. You might be more inclined to amen everything he says while watching the video but find yourself more critical while reading the transcript. Here’s why. Visuals add gravitas and importance to any message, and that’s one factor that made the video viral. Take that into consideration and be careful with “Christian” influencers out there. Story telling is a big deal. If you can tell a good story, it’s really easy to deceive.
1,292 words before editing. Day Three is done. Talk soon.
I understand why people have this take. It may come from a good place but that doesn't mean it goes to a good place. When people want to jettison what they feel is an imposed idea of "religion" then they're in turn imposing their own boutique definition of what it means to relate to Jesus. That gets closer to creating your own personal religion.