If you have to try and convince someone how wrong their religion is, you’re probably not very confident in your own. This is important. Historically spirituality is something that has been incredibly vital to individual and cultural identity. What has happened recently, especially in the western world, is a intermingling of multiple different perspectives. There are two dominant results tied to this, I’ll start with the positive. This new culture shift has allowed people to acquaint themselves with people of other faiths. This has paved the way for us humans to become more educated and aware as to how someone with a different religious identity than our own operates and perceives the world. The negative that come’s with this, however, is the automatic assumption by some that because someone has a different spiritual stance, they are automatically wrong.
In my personal experience, I have found that the particular religious group that does this more than any other is the one that I happen to be associated with, Christianity. For whatever reason, Christian’s have this assumption that it is their responsibility to shove the message of Christ down others throats. The great irony of this though is that this is a practice that Jesus himself never actually took part in. If you look at the way Jesus communicated what he was about, it follows a profound and rational pattern. As Dallas Willard was known for discussing, Jesus formed incredibly sound and rational logic. He spoke in a way that set up the cones to a path for someone to follow, but still allowed the individual to venture down the path themselves. Jesus speaks in a way that allows a listener to have an outline as to where the thought he is relaying is headed without forcing them into a strict and dogmatic conclusion.
Jesus’s method of “evangelicalism” was not a method of pointing out the flaws in other’s systems, his message was so much bigger than that. When a message is formulated around the flaws of a particular idea, the one relaying the message is generally not very confident in the idea that they believe in. This is because relying on what they attach themselves to isn’t profound or beautiful enough to speak for itself. Jesus was quite confident in his message however, and ironically, the only religious individuals that he did critique on a regular basis were the Pharisee’s who were the Jewish religious leaders of the time (Jesus was considered a Jew just so you know...). Can you imagine if Jesus was to go picket out front of some place like an abortion clinic? There is something incredibly odd and not right about that image. It just doesn’t line up to how he treated people and the message he taught. I can, however, see him walking into that facility along side a woman, counseling her, hugging her, being a shoulder for her to cry on, and letting her know that if she was to change her mind, he would be more than willing to help raise and support the child so she didn’t have to feel so alone and scared
The true and beautiful message of what Jesus talks about, the renewing of all things, the lost being found, mercy reigning over judgement, loving your neighbor as yourself, and countless other countercultural messages are so incredibly transformative that focusing on the “flaws” in other system’s or what is “not okay” is nothing but a waste of time and a perfect example of missing the point. Think for example about ad campaigns for smart phones. Apple has consistently led the market in this area with the iPhone. Their ads are completely reliant on their brand and what they can offer. Other smart phones companies, however, need to rely on ads that mock iPhones. Christ in this case would be an iPhone (there’s a new one). He provides that which is needed without having to bash other platforms. Oddly enough though, there are “Christians” who think they have to ridicule other systems to make their product seem worth it, resulting in Jesus looking like a much lesser product because he can’t speak for himself. He becomes directly associated with comparisons leading to him having no real identity. himself.
Following Christ is not something you do because other religions are lesser, following Christ is a decision make specifically because of Christ. I have zero problem with someone who is a Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Bahai’i or of any other religious identity for that matter as long as they aren’t harming others in the name of their religion (don’t worry, I realize some Christians inflict harm as well and I hang my head because of this). When I talk to people of other faiths, I don’t try and point out their flaws, I try and portray through the way I live my life the incredible reality of what being a follower of Christ can look like and I also open my ears to the truth that they can offer me (if you are open to doing this, you may be amazed at how much you can find Christ and what he taught in other religious systems). After all, al truth IS God’s truth, and that is important to consider. Following Christ is not some connect the dot picture, it is a splatter painting with all different forms and colors held together by the canvas it occupies, not by a particular shade or shape. When we allow ourselves to open our mind to the reality of the world today, we can become overwhelmed and in awe of just how beautiful spirituality can be. Always remember that Jesus is far bigger than whatever ties or labels people put on him. He can be found in the most unlikely of places, all it takes is the longing to be able to see that.
Here’s another point (this is post is going in all sorts of directions, it’s more of just a vent session than it is a focus on a specific idea I suppose), if you are having a hard time with people who profess to be Christians and can’t stand their close-mindedness, don’t engage. However unfortunate it is, people will hold strict, stern, and often times incredibly irritating ways of perceiving the world. Whether it is how they treat other people who think differently than them, how they approach the gay marriage debate, how old they think the earth is or whatever else it might be, naturally people will be frustrating. The best way to approach individuals like this is not to engage in argument, believe me, I speak from experience. That method doesn’t work. People who have narrow way’s of perceiving the world are usually the same people who don’t want to expand their mind. If you try and force your opinions on them, how are you pursuing a life any more fulfilling than them? Embrace the beauty that comes from having an open mind and the incredible realizations you receive because of this, don’t be bogged down by that which you just escaped. For more on this, read this incredible blog post by Rob Bell:http://robbellcom.tumblr.com/post/79886748736/what-is-the-bible-part-53-a-shout-out-to-the-lonely .
I’ll end with this. The other day the sun finally appeared from behind the blanket of clouds it hid behind all winter. My skin was able to feel natural warmth for the first time in months. I decided to go for a walk, stop at Jimmy Johns for lunch, and go sit down by the river, all the while listening to music by Jack Johnson, Matt Costa, and other tunes reminding me of summer. These two hours were the most real and active interaction I have had with God in months and I attend a highly Christian institution. Jesus can be found in the most unlikely of places. He manifests himself in everyday life, we are able to see him in a variety of moments and in amazingly profound ways if we let him be more than just a character in a book. Look around you, breathe, listen; experience Jesus commitment to renewing all things back into their beautiful and perfect state. When you begin to perceive in this way, boundaries are no longer necessary, ridicule is meaningless, and love is the ultimate characteristic defining the world you inhabit.
