Religion vs. Relationship

A short while ago I met someone at school who heard I was a Marketing Director for a church. After getting over the fact that it seemed odd for a church to have a Marketing Director and me explaining the variety of other responsibilities I had, they unleashed a gentle tirade of what “religious” people have done to hurt them and all of society.

I sat there perplexed. What do I go respond to first? The hurt that has been done to them? That not all religions are the same? How religion is good for society? Then it hit me. She is right. Religion destroys society and can really hurt people.

Now, I realize she was calling all of Christianity as religion and I am addressing a different interpretation of the meaning ‘religion,’ but her gross generalization brought a key revelation to me: what am I projecting to her and those around me in my relationship with God? Am I just another one of those ‘hypocritical Christians’ waiting to Bible-thump or does the love of God that transcends all understanding permeate from within me?

The answer to that question comes out of my understanding of God’s love for me. Francis Chan writes in his book, Crazy Love, “When we love God because we feel we should love Him, instead of genuinely loving out of our true selves, we have forgotten who God really is.” If I hope to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), then I need to know what that light looks like. I cannot demonstrate what I do not know.

Christ’s love for me was paid with a price. For me to question his love is to ignore the suffering He went through. For me to betray His love is to spit on Him once more. For me to cheapen His love by making it a duty or an obligation is to deny the cleansing power that His blood offers.

Religion sees the love of Christ as the medal we get for being good boy scouts.
Relationship sees the love of Christ as tattered flesh that said, “Not my will Father, but yours be done.”

In the battle between religion vs relationship, who do I want fighting for me? The Heavyweight Champion of the world or feebly little Kyle Willis’ flesh? No amount of boy scouts medal would make that a fair fight.