Where is Religion? Part 2

Now that you've hopefully made is safely past the first gauntlet, we arrive at big reason #2. (Making them BIG reasons sounds way more important.)

There is no "I" in team. Anyone who has played sports or been involved in some sort of team operation has heard this tired cliche. Anyone who is known as a "smart ass" has responded with this:

But there is a me.

Ahh yes, The D had to run a couple laps after uttering that brilliant one to his football coach in high school. Were it so humorous in today's socIety, where I is right in the middle and prevalent. (How convenient for me and my blog) Society today is geared toward us, the individual. Products are changed, introduced and eliminated to attract you, the consumer. Emails pop up in your inbox everyday advertising things that are tailored to your interests based on web surfing. TV comes in hundreds of channels to make sure you can get exactly what you want. Even reality tv puts you, the viewer and voter, in charge of the people in the show. (It is a very, very, very sad day in America when more people vote for American Idol than for the president. It's a travesty and a shame and pathetic.) You're told to look out for number one, what's best for you. You watch as politician after politician gets caught up in a scam because they were greedy and selfish. What I'm every so subtly getting at is that life in America is all about you.

With this selfishness (promoted or otherwise) that has invaded society, comes a loss of service. Let me explain a little better. What is a servant? As always, let's define

1. a person employed by another, especially to do household duties. 2. a person devoted to another or to a cause, creed.

The very definition is the opposite of selfishness. With selfishness comes many things, but being this is a specific topic, I will stick to it. Religion, and I'm speaking in terms of protestant/christian religion since it's all I'm very familiar with, is not there to serve you. Yes, there are things within that can help you, help your life, give you peace of mind, hope for a wonderful eternity after death, etc., but it is certainly not there to serve you. However, with everything else in life aimed at pleasing us, we often take that mentality and influence into the church, and expect religion to be the same way. It's as if we should go on religion.com and expect the religions to bid for our services like a car insurance company.

Yes, I know, it sounds ridiculous, but there are many times where people take religion and chance it to fit their needs and desires, kind of like a theological buffet. I'll take a bit of forgiveness, some peace of mind, a little of this heaven here, that looks good, I'll pass on the judgement and sin, and oh dear, the fire and brimstone just doesn't look fresh, no thanks. To these people, religion should make them feel good and happy and peaceful and help them out in times of need (notice the selfish theme in those demands), but shouldn't tell them what to do or scold them. Their relationship with God should be on their terms and involve only what they want, the true nature of selfishness, and the exact opposite of being a servant.

This part, however, is what turns a lot of people off from religion and church. Morality. There are a growing number of people in this country that have ascribed to a nihilistic relative morality in which right and wrong is subject to the individuals lifestyle and desires. How much easier is it to live a moral life if you yourself decide what a moral life is? It is the crowning achievement of selfishness and pomposity! But how can you be a religious person and still decide your own morality in this sense? Who wants to be bothered with religion when you can make your own morality?

And here comes the next small point within the big one right on the heels of that statement. Ease! Not only is life here in America a me centered life, but it's also a fast paced, immediate gratification and accessibility existence every single day. Information is readily available on lightning fast computers, cell phones, hundreds of radio and tv channels. Cell phones allow us to talk to anyone we want immediately. Don't want to wait for it to dial and for the 2 rings? Text message someone! Food is fast, microwaveable, or bought at any of the fast food joints that surround our daily travels. When we want something, we want it now.

This culture of immediacy has changed our perspective on life. We think in shorter and shorter terms everyday as life becomes faster and faster. Any need that pops up, we can take care of right away with our access to so many things. In some cases, that's great. Thirsty? Get a drink. Hungry? Get a snack. Feel an emptiness in your soul? Go do some drugs.

Wait. One of those doesn't fit. With such an instantaneous satisfaction of our needs, we expect it to be that way for them all, and unfortunately, often try to satisfy them all with quick fixes. Far too often, people use temporal means to satisfy ethereal needs. Please read that again. In essence, it's the crux of the last part of this point. Religion, church, relationship with God, whatever you want to call it; none of these are short term fixes. None of these will provide instant and tangible results every single time. To many who have been overtaken by this culture, that just isn't good enough.

So no, there is no I in team, but there is a me, and as I can attest, that will get you the immediate fulfillment, of running some laps.

--The D

(I apologize to my readers for this post. I'm very very tired and worn out and my mind just isn't with it right now. To me, it is my best effort within these circumstances, however far from my best work. I will do my best for tomorrow which will be far more passionate and personal. Please join me.)