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Numerous things impacted my perceptions of Haiti on both of my visits. One
of those is the perception that the people of Haiti are a very religious
people. All you need to do is look around at the signs on cars, buses, and
buildings. "Praise Jesus," "Thank you Jesus,"
"Glory to God" are among the many signs that are part of every
day life. In fact, I noted that Donna became more prayerful while in
Haiti. Whenever we were driving Donna spent a great deal of time praying,
although I suspect that our Lord would have preferred another greeting
than "Oh Boy!" As I have mentioned in the past, I say again now,
driving in Haiti is enough to make anyone become much more serious about
prayer and is enough to make anyone a believer in God and want His mercy.
We
can chuckle about that aspect of assumed piety. Haiti appears to be
religious, but is it truly? It’s like America. We have, in our money
system, the words "In God we trust." In our Pledge of
Allegiance, we recognize "One nation under God." In our
Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, references are made
to God and His impact on public life. America appears to be a religious
nation, and it is. However, what is its religion?
The Apostle Paul went to Athens, sat in both the synagogue and the market
place, and reasoned with Jews, God-fearing Greeks, and the philosophers of
the day. He spoke about Jesus and the resurrection. They argued with him,
but nobody was able to refute the things that he said. Paul was invited to
the Areopagus to speak at length about the subject and answer questions
that the philosophers had. Many thought Paul was crazy, others were
convinced of the truth that he spoke. Let’s look at how Paul addressed
the Athenians.
"I see that in every way you are very religious…" He
started with what the people could understand before moving them to a more
complete knowledge of truth. Paul recognized that, at the very least, they
believed there was something beyond themselves. However, he informed them
that the idols they worshipped were of their own imaginations. The empty
altar "to an unknown God" was their way of covering their
religious bases – just in case they missed something. Paul proclaimed
that the "unknown God" was the true Lord of all creation and
could not be contained by human structures.
Paul’s purpose at the Areopagus was to convince those that listened of
the truth regarding the one true God revealed in Jesus. The stumbling
block for these philosophers was on the issue of the raising of Jesus from
the dead. Paul had written in 1 Corinthians that the message of the cross,
which includes the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, was a problem for
the philosophers because they thought that it was foolishness. They
thought that one man could not die to redeem the world from sin and the
power of death; and to believe that such a one could be raised from the
dead was unbelievable.
The problem with the religion made
by hand is that the god(s) cannot move beyond what the human mind can
conceive. The power of created gods is that they are nothing more than
super human at best given to the same problems and appetites as their
human creators. The truth about religion in this regard is that it
holds all the form, but has no true power.
This is one problem faced by the 12-step programs is that each person is
limited to "the god of their understanding." The strength of the
program is not in the God of creation. Rather, it is found in the
fellowship of people with similar issues. This is not bad, but it doesn’t
address the deeper issue of human separation from God because of sin.
There is no doubt that change can occur in the life of the person in the
program and it is ultimately the result of the grace of God. The
principles of the twelve steps are Biblical in their content, but like the
days of old they are only the form of religion without the complete
substance.
The truth about religion is that
when it is generated by humanity its power to transform lives is limited
in its affect. However, when religion is instituted by the revelation of
God it has the power to transform a person into a child of the living God,
not one fashioned by human thought. How do we determine whether a religion
is human generated or is revealed from heaven? Ultimately, God reveals the
truth and people receive it by faith. When true religion is exercised, it
is seen in what we have received and what we are willing to give away.
What is it that is received and given away, one asks. As we receive the
LOVE of God and the GRACE that He has promised in the FORGIVENESS of our
sin, we are to LOVE one another extending His GRACE and FORGIVENESS. We
are called to be the AMBASSADORS of God. God calls us into a relationship
with Him based on His love and commissions us to be the agents of His
RECONCILING work in the world.
The truth about religion -- religion
is to be the outward expression of the inner work of grace that is given
to us through Jesus. There are many that appear to be religious (and they
are), but they are not exercising religion that is true. Many people lift
up hands in prayer and praise. Others mint their money and write pious
words extolling the recognition and virtues of God. Still others work hard
to make themselves acceptable to God.
Appearances can be deceiving. Just because furniture looks like oak,
maple, mahogany, or cherry, it doesn’t mean that it is made of any of
those woods. Veneer is much simpler and cheaper. More than that, what is
under the veneer is lacking the real substance of the wood it appears to
be.
God doesn’t want religion to lack substance so He gives us Himself. For
those that are willing to undergo the transformation from death to life,
He completes that work in us the moment we receive Jesus by faith while
continuing the process of working His love in and through us.
The truth about religion that is
from God, again, is found in the outward expression of that inner work of
grace. One of the concerns that I have for the people of Haiti is that a
revolution seems to be brewing. Many of the people are becoming
dissatisfied with the status quo and, I suspect they are increasingly
ready for radical change. True religion is revolutionary. True religion
takes us outside of ourselves, into the lives of the people God gives us
to love. We demonstrate true religion when we love God the way He loved us
by loving those in need.
I
perceive that we are a religious people. The question that we must ask
ourselves individually and as a corporation: Are we worshipping the God
that revealed Himself, or are we worshipping the God of our own
preconceptions? Secondly, I ask if we are ready for revolution.
The truth about religion is that
too many people, including Christians, don’t take the need for change
seriously. They do not truly understand what religion is, nor do (I think)
do they want to know. If we expect to be the people that God desires us to
be, it is time for us to move forward and exercise the faith that is born
in us. If we expect God to work through us (individually and corporately)
we must give Him complete access to our hearts. The revolution between the
Spirit and the world must be fought and God must reign victoriously in our
lives.
The truth about
religion is found in the
relationship between us and God worked out in the lives of those that God
brings into our lives. Are we willing to exercise true religion and be
known as God’s people, or are we going to continue to play at religion
and be perceived as religious? The choice is before us today. Now is the
acceptable time. What will we choose?
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