Religion or Relationship: A Lenten Reflection

 “Jesus is alive! He is risen from the death! He is alive forevermore!” These words are typically stated during the Easter Sunday mass anywhere. However, at some point in time, this statement is accompanied with “we are serving the ONLY living God! Buddha is dead. The patrons of Catholicism are dead; their Christ is hanged on the cross! Mohammed is dead! So are the gods of Hinduism.  So on and so forth. Our God is the ONLY living God!”  Will it make us more good, [and] they more evil, when we say these words? Will it make us more righteous because we are serving the “only living God”? I don’t think so. Some say we are not after any religion for we pursue and we campaign relationship with the Saviour than religion. Then again, why is there a need for a comparison of whose god is living whose god is dead? Is it really necessary? Comparing with other “religions” makes our advocate a religion as well, isn’t it?

It is written that by faith, and by faith alone, a man can be saved. It is the belief of mankind that brings about salvation. We have different ways of believing. We do also have different ways of worshipping. It is still faith that saves one, no more, no less. Whether a person is a Muslim or a Christian, a Hindu or a Buddhist, a theist or an atheist, faith brings about salvation.

“Religion is just a way of living,” as how one of my trusted friends defined it. It is a discipline that strengthens our faith to the saviour. However, it is also the primary reason why people are divided into factions of multiple beliefs. We do not need to debate about which “religion” is true, and which is hoax. (Well, anyway, every religion claims to be the ultimate truth; all the others are just a part of the whole truth.) Debate, in the first place, causes disagreement. In disagreement, peace is gone. If there’s no peace, there’s war. And, yes, we are in a war. It is not a battle between who is good and who is less good. It is a battle between good and evil. Religion is a weapon discreetly used amongst us. We should learn not to be deceived by it.

I agree that we have to build relationship with the saviour and live through it religiously. I do not question the fact that faith is built and strengthened through constant conversing with the saviour. This is how a lasting relationship is built. Moreover, I also believe that everyone is in a relationship with the saviour already. We do not have to question what kind of relation there is. The only things we have to do are to respect and understand their choice of who to believe and who to worship. We should not condemn nor convict them!

The world is dying. I am afraid that there will be no hope in reviving its losing life. There are wars raging in almost every continent, physical or not. If we continue claiming that ours is the ultimate truth and theirs is not, how can we win them over religion? If we persist on saying “our God is the only living God” and their gods are not living in one way or another or our faith is the only faith that brings about salvation to the mankind, how can we convince them that it is their relationship with the saviour that will lead them to being saved?

What this world needs are people who can understand and who can respect. Regardless of what religion they are into, we must respect it. However, anyway, it is not a religion that we are offering, right? Regardless of what religion they are into, we have to understand them. We have our own choices. We cannot dictate someone to choose one over the others. They are not our slaves, in the first place. We also have our own reasons. What we can do is to understand them, and tell them they might as well consider building a lasting relationship with the saviour.

 There is no need for a comparison. There is no need to say that ours is better and theirs is not; ours is truer and theirs is false.  It would only lead to division, and, soon, separation. What we have to do is to promote relationship, not religion. What we have to do is to understand, not undermine their beliefs. What we have to do is to respect their choice, and not to force them choose ours, as well. In this way, I believe, the harmony that once was lost can be gained again. In this way, the peace that was once bogus will be genuine. Choose a peaceful living.