One of my Facebook friends recently posted the question, “Why is religion such a hard subject to talk about?” Perhaps it is because religion is so messy. But, why is religion messy?
The fact that religion is difficult and messy is evidence supporting the argument that religion is of human origins. Yes, religion is human-made. God does not make chaotic and messy things. Humans do. God does not need anything from us: especially religion. God is infinite and infinity has no needs. Religion defies God’s infinitude. (For more on God’s infinitude see Slices of God, chapters 2.02 – 2.04.) It is we who are in need, not God. But, instead of turning to God alone in faith, we turn to human constructs that we believe will lead us out of our brokenness and back to God. Religion is born when humans inform God how we are to escape our chaos and return to his favor. The reverse is faith.
However, there is good news for those of us entrenched in messy religion. God, in God’s infinite mercy and grace, meets us where we are. God meets us in religion. That is infinitude at its best. Jesus did just that. He was infinitude in the flesh: an extension of God in our domain. Jesus rejected human-made religion and offered hope, freedom, healing, and forgiveness to people with broken hearts held captive by religion.
Contrary to religion, God loves brokenness that knows it cannot restore itself. It is there that the God-become-flesh meets us in love. In the Apostle John’s words, “To all those who envelop the God-become-flesh, he gives the gift of becoming God’s children — children not made by religion, but by God’s love.” (John 1:12-13, SFA paraphrase.)
-Sam Augsburger
