So why be ‘religious’?
Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m spiritual, but not religious?” Most people believe in God and a large number want to follow Christ, but many reject religion and anything that comes with it. So why should we be religious, when we can be spiritual?
Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m spiritual, but not religious?” Most people believe in God and a large number want to follow Christ, but many reject religion and anything that comes with it. So why should we be religious, when we can be spiritual?
For the love of …
When thinking about Jesus and religion, we can first remember that Jesus was, in fact, religious. This means that God came down to us and followed the precepts, or “rules” of the Jewish law. Jesus didn’t do this because rules are fun, but he did it out of pure love for God the Father. Jesus was religious because religion is a love affair. Jesus also made it clear that his plan was in no way to destroy religion, but to fulfill it. Jesus created a Church – a family – where we can love the Lord with our entire lives and our entire being.
The whole enchilada
In Scripture we see that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament with the establishment of the Church, out of love for the Father. Jesus’ love for the Father, as the Son, is at the very center of his passion, death and resurrection. So why should we be religious, and not just spiritual? Because imitating Christ means giving our whole lives for the Father. Religion isn’t just a bunch of rules; rather, religion means changing how we live because we love someone so deeply. Our faith involves changing how we act and speak, what we watch, what we scroll through and how we live, because we love Christ and imitate his love for the Father.
The proposal
Scripture is also filled with imagery of Jesus as the Bridegroom, and guess what, you are the Bride! Sorry guys, but the Church as a whole is the Bride of Christ. This means we receive his love, his grace and his mercy. As the Bridegroom, Jesus reveals to us that our faith is like a marriage, not just a date. God wants more than simply good times with us; he wants our entire lives, for eternity. If we are married or betrothed to our beloved, for example, we don’t go out and do whatever we want, with whomever we want. God asks us for our faithfulness and for our lives to change in relationship with him. This is what religion is all about – faithfulness to the Lord in all that we do.
The body
Finally, God calls us to give our lives entirely to him, but he doesn’t ask us to do it alone. Christ gives us the Church as the center of our religion and love affair. The Church isn’t made up of perfect people, but rather it is where people go to receive God’s tangible love and be sent out into the world with it. In and through the Church, we are called to worship as one. In and through the Church, God gives us a real teacher, a real community, real tangible sacraments and real people to journey with. In the Body of Christ, your spirituality comes alive, is made tangible and is shared with those around you in powerful ways.
So, should we be spiritual? Absolutely! But never stop there. God is inviting you deeper, into a close personal relationship with him that changes everything. Your faith gives you a real family to love, worship with, and even struggle with. Being part of the Catholic Church prepares you to know, love and serve our beloved Lord in this life, and the world to come.
Adam Cross is a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, and he worked as a youth minister at his local parish for 8 years. Adam loves to integrate the Catholic faith into his therapy practice.
