Religionless Christianity?

The other day I walked into Wheaton Religious Gift and Church Supply. I had walked by before and seen some Catholicy-looking stuff in the window, and I decided it might be worth checking out. What I discovered inside was an awesome Family Christian Bookstore - Catholic Version!

Catholic Medals

As I walked around like a brat in a candy store with a goofy delighted grin on my face, I came to the section of the store with the rosary beads and the sacramental medals. I stopped in my tracks. It had suddenly hit me that Christianity, at least Catholic Christianity, is a religion. A religion interacts with supernatural things through the use of Holy Symbols. These sacramental symbols, which had once meant nothing to me (or worse), took on a whole new meaning through the eyes of my new-found Catholic faith. They are wonderful gifts, not magic charms, but physical vehicles for the work of the Holy Spirit, received by faith in his power.

It used to bother me the way Catholic religious things look so similar to things used in pagan religions. Catholics haves shrines, statues, priests, altars, and prayer beads. Their churches often have the feel of a grand temple. Back then, it all looked so foreign and threatening to me. But now I've realized, those sorts of things aren't necessarily pagan objects. They're just religious objects. What makes some of us uncomfortable is not really that they're pagan, it's that they're religious.

Buddhist prayer beads, Muslim prayer beads, Catholic prayer beads

We modern people are embarrassed by religion. We are raised on the idea that religion is divisive, unreasonable, and superstitious. So, whether or not we admit it or even realize it, we start trying to surgically remove religion from our Christianity. You see it on bumper stickers and t-shirts: "It's not a religion, it's a relationship! Religion is man trying to reach up to God, Christianity is God reaching down to man."

That's a terribly limited definition of religion and, worse, a terribly limited definition of Christianity. Religion isn't about us trying to reach up to God; some religions, like Taoism, don't even necessarily believe in God. Religion is about interacting with invisible, heavenly things through the use of symbolism. A religious symbol is anything that presents a spiritual reality to our senses. Being earthly creatures, we can't sense heavenly things, so we need those symbols if we're going to interact with God at all. Yes, Christianity involves God reaching down to us, but if we're going to see him do it, we need symbols, and if we're going to respond to him in any way, we need symbols. A relationship with God is impossible without religion.

Maybe you don't agree. "Hey, I may not be very religious, but I definitely have a relationship with Jesus!" Well, let's examine that. Do you attend church on Sunday? Well, the church is a place you go to meet God in worship, so it's a symbol. "Not fair!" you respond. "The church is just a meeting place! We could just as easily worship God anywhere else." Alright, fair enough. Suppose you meet for worship in a field (and not on Sunday either, since Sunday is symbolic of the Lord's Resurrection). Do you sing hymns? Do you pray out loud? Words and music are symbols too, for when you sing to God, you take it on faith that you're not just singing to the walls or the sky. Those earthly sounds provide a way for you to interact with God through the intercessory power of the Holy Spirit.

It turns out that anytime protestants believe themselves to be really interacting with God, they are using symbols, and they just don't recognize it (many Anglicans are a happy exception). Or when they do recognize a particular symbol, such as the communion elements, or a cross in the back of a sanctuary, they claim that it's simply there as a reminder. They deny that it actually has power (compare 2 Timothy 3:5). The real interaction takes place in the heart (wherever that is). Protestants often make use of a lot of these "reminders," for example this cross, made of nails to remind us that the cross is more than just a geometric shape or a fashionable jewelry design.

A cross made of nails.

Of course, they usually keep it pretty simple compared to Catholic symbols. Wouldn't want to be accused of thinking the symbol was actually any more important than a simple reminder. Though sometimes I think Catholic symbols would be better at "reminding" than most protestant symbols.

A cross made of a cross, with Jesus on it.

Lets imagine that all that really counts in Christianity is the internal thoughts and beliefs in our heart. If we eliminate all our external symbols, what's left? How is it any different from a philosophy, or a set of propositions about God? Sure, these beliefs may lead us to act better towards others (James 1:27), but a philosophy or political ideology can do that too. Christianity believes in a God who hears, whom we can approach, with whom we can have a relationship, and whose kingdom is coming on earth. For these things we need symbols, not just reminders. Relationship needs religion, and if we try to strip Christianity of symbols, it starts looking more and more like a philosophy or social movement and less like what it is - a religion.

Instead of being wary of approaching God through religion, why not take advantage of all the rich symbolism of the ancient Christian traditions? God gifts us with many ways of receiving his grace through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, if only we would recognize it for what it is.

winter by spring,i lift my diminutive spire to
merciful Him whose only now is forever:
standing erect in the deathless truth of His presence
(welcoming humbly His light and proudly His darkness)
~ e.e. cummings ~