Religious or Faithful?
Dr. Jim Wilson, April 27, 2008 Several years ago, I attended a lecture given by Walter Brueggemann at the University of Chicago. Brueggemann, a noted OT scholar, was addressing a gathering of scientists and theologians on the subject, “God and Contemporary Science.” For the first forty minutes or so, Brueggemann offered a carefully reasoned and insightful presentation on God as Creator and Preserver of the universe. In doing so, he also argued that the Christian Faith is not an opponent of scientific thought. Then he made a rather dramatic shift. He moved from lecture to witness. “God is not an object of perception,” he said, “You need not expect to come suddenly upon God as you might catch a workman at his tasks..” Pushing on, he concluded, “You will not find God as tritium in your test tubes, or at the end of your microscopes or telescope, nor even at the conclusion of an argument. God is more like the sun, all about us, yet diffused, the one object in the world at which we cannot constantly gaze, yet in the light of which we see everything else.” As we drove back to Joliet, I said to my colleague that I thought Bruggemann had done a masterful job of delineating the difference between thinking theologically and thinking scientifically. My colleague replied, “That he did. But better yet was his distinction between being religious and being faithful.” I responded, “What? What are you talking about?” He said, “Go, read Acts 17, Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill.” I did. And I got his point. Both Brueggmann’s lecture and my friend’s comment came to mind as I once again read Paul’s sermon. There are, it seems to me, several parallels between what Brueggmann did in Hyde Park and what Paul did in Athens. Both find themselves addressing a gathering of learned people in a context outside the community of faith. Both chose to tailor their message to fit the context by focusing on God as Creator which enabled them to establish a point of contact with their audience. Neither mentioned Jesus by name. However the revelation of God in Jesus underlay what both had to say. Both moved from the linear, rational language of science and philosophy, to the imaginative, metaphoric language of faith. And yes, both drew a distinction between being religious and being faithful. I believe both Brueggemann and St. Paul speak to us, calling us to move from being religious to being faithful, and prompting us on how to communicate the Gospel in an increasingly secular world. Come, let us gather with the others on Mars Hill or, if your imagination won’t allow you to go that far, on a hill in Barrington Hills, and hear St. Paul’s invitation. Standing in the middle of the Aeropagus, Paul is positioned at the very heart of pagan culture. This is where the Athenian Council gathers to discuss and pronounce judgments on legal, social, and even religious matters. It is also the place where the learned gather for intellectual inquiry and scholarly debate. And the Athenians love inquiry and debate, especially new ideas and novel approaches. Prominent in this arena of philosophical exchange are the Epicureans and Stoic philosophers, the secular humanists of Paul’s day. This context in front of the Aeropagus in Athens is about as far from the synagogue as Paul could get. A new context demands a different approach to his preaching. Aware of his audience’s preferences and prejudices, Paul begins his sermon by praising the Athenian’s religious curiosity. He says, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I walked the streets of your city, I saw the objects of your worship, the temples and shrines of your many gods.” Was that meant as a compliment or a sarcastic criticism? That is the subject of debate. Let’s assume for the sake of this sermon, that Paul really is complimenting the Athenians on their spiritual curiosity and search for religious truth. He continues, “I even found an altar with the inscription, “To an Unknown God.” Like many ancient people, the Athenians included an altar to an unknown go in their pantheon of gods, just for good measure. Paul seizes the opportunity and tells his listeners, “What you worship as unknown, I proclaim to you.” Keeping his point of contact with his audience, Paul speaks of this “unknown god” as the Creator of the world and all that is, including human life; all of which connects very well with the thought and teaching of the philosophers. Yet, quickly Paul draws a distinction. As the Creator, this God cannot be contained in shrines of temples built by human hands for this God is not subject to human control. This God is sovereign. Perhaps some in the crowd are getting just a tad nervous, wondering where Paul is going. Now a transition from linear, rational language to the language of metaphor and poetry occurs. Paul quotes the philosopher-poet Epimenides, this God is the one in whom “…we live and move and have our being.” As such, we are, as Paul, again quoting yet another Greek poet, Aratus, “God’s offspring.” Argument now yield to witness. “This God cannot be represented by idols made of silver or gold, stone or art. God is not some lifeless idol, but a living and life-giving God. However, we must not forget, says Paul, that while this God has mercifully overlooked human ignorance in the past, he now calls the human family to repent, to a change of heart and mind.” Now the audience is getting more than a little nervous. This God, Paul concludes, “is not only Creator and Preserver of life, he is also judge. Yet even this judgment is righteous for the One why whom God judges the world is the One whom God raised from the dead. Because God raised this One from the dead, all people can be assured of God’s gracious purpose for human life and the whole creation. You can hear the “buzz” among the scholars. “Resurrection? did he say, ‘Resurrection?’ What nonsense!” Some mock Paul. Others say, “How interesting. Let’s come back next week and discuss it further.” A few convert, two of whom are mentioned. This is how it is when one speaks of God and matters of faith in a secular world, or when one calls people from being religious to being faithful. People get offended. I heard that a contestant this week on American Idol was voted off largely because she sang “Jesus Christ, Superstar.” People were offended at Jesus’ name. The issue in Athens was not atheism. The Athenians believed in god. In fact, they believed in a whole host of gods, more than they could count. They were religious, extremely so. They simply were not a faithful people. Bill Easum, a noted church consultant, maintains that the church today finds itself in a culture much like that of the First Century. By this he means that the church finds itself confronted with rampant idolatry, extensive secularism, fragmented moral consensus, decreasing influence, etc. I believe he is correct. The issue today is not atheism. We too live in a culture that has a whole pantheon full of gods, all sorts of altars at which people bow down and worship. The overall influence may be secular. But it is a secularism grounded in idolatry. If Paul walked the streets of Chicago or New York, and perhaps even Barrington, I hunch he would conclude that we, like the Athenians, are “extremely religious.” Being religious is not bad in and of itself. It means doing things religious; to practice particular kinds of behaviors: to pray, to worship, to do good works, seeking justice and peace, to follow certain rituals, to give alms and so forth. These are good things, essential practices. Yet, they are external things, things of the mind and hands. On the other hand, faith for those who bear the name Christian is trust, passionate trust in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is a trust that shapes one’s life from the inside out. It is a matter of heart and spirit. Our own John Wesley, the father of Methodism, is a prime example of the difference between the two. He was a very religious man, an Anglican priest, one who read and studied the Scriptures diligently, who prayed without ceasing, who received the sacrament constantly, who served tirelessly. Yet, he also remained unfulfilled. Then on May 24, 1738 at a Moravian prayer service on Aldersgate Street in London, a change occurred. Wesley’s heart was “strangely warmed.” Religious practice found fulfillment in passionate trust in the liberating and transforming grace of Jesus Christ. John Wesley became a “very faithful” man. What amazes me about Wesley’s experience is how similar it is to that of so many others---for example to the experience of St. Paul, St. Augustine, Martin Luther, and even one named Jim Wilson. I too learned to be very religious. Then in my twenties under the guidance of Arthur Landwehr in Bible studies and a couple of significant personal events I was nudged along to that trust, that passionate trust in Jesus Christ, a nudging, I might add, that is still going on. Again, I want to emphasize that being religious is a good and, I believe, essential thing. In fact, I think, it just may be a prerequisite for being faithful. My point is simply that we are called to be more than religious. We are called to be faithful; to live a life shaped by a passionate trust in Christ Jesus. About a month ago, I saw a Gallup poll that I found quite interesting. The results were not new. In fact they have been much the same for a number of years. However, they raise a significant issue. The poll showed that around 92% of Americans say they believe in God. Yet they also say that this belief in God impacts their major life decisions only about 50% of the time. I find that is a major disconnect between what we believe and how we live. Our religious practice, for whatever reason, is excluded for our decision making. Is the where idolatry creeps in? Where the other gods have their say in what is decided? I wonder. Faith, this passionate trust, connects and shapes, brings consistency and integrity to our believing and doing. It gives meaning and depth to our religious practices. Such is the call of the “Unknown God” in Athens----the God that is known among us in Christ Jesus. Our challenge as the church is to make this God known that we may be not only “extremely religious” but also “profoundly faithful.” Sounds very much like an agenda for a church committed to teach discipleship. Would you not agree? Thanks be to God! Amen! |
