There is a very bizarre contemporary trend in some church circles to downplay the fact that Christianity is a religion. Specifically, it’s become quite common to hear folks claim that Christianity is about “relationship, not religion.” I often get the sense that people saying this kind of thing have not spent much time reflecting on precisely what they mean.
In order to further evaluate this subject, let’s establish a clear definition. What exactly is a religion? A religion is a belief in a supernatural power (such as a god or gods) and a commitment to the worship and service of this power. Religions involve claims of ultimate reality; that is, they usually serve as an explanation for the existence of the cosmos and humanity. They provide people with meaning and purpose.
There are several common elements found in most religions: (1) a set of beliefs or doctrines (2) sacred texts or scriptures (3) ritual practices such as prayer, fasting, meditation, etc., and (4) moral obligations.
According to Pew Research Center, there are basically four main religious groups. Christianity is the world’s largest religion, accounting for 2.4 billion people, or around 31% of the global population. Islam is second with 1.9 billion adherents, or 25% of the population. Islam is mostly practiced in the Middle East, North Africa & Indonesia. Hinduism is third with 1.2 billion followers or 15% of the world’s population. Hindus primarily live in India. Buddhism is fourth with around 500 million followers, mostly in SE Asia. Roughly 16% of the world’s population has no religious affiliation.
Christianity bears all the hallmarks of a religion. It’s a claim of ultimate reality: Christians believe in the one true God who created and sustains all things. And the Christian religion certainly ought to provide people with a clear sense of purpose. The first chapter of Genesis describes how God made humanity in his image so that they might govern the creation wisely, allowing the world to flourish in the way that God intended.
Christianity has very specific doctrines. The most distinctive is the Trinity: the conviction that the one God exists as three divine persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Of course, there are the sacred writings which constitute the Bible. Christian ritual includes such practices as baptism and the Lord’s supper. Finally, there are strict moral obligations. Christians are called to a high and holy standard of conduct, pursuing what is right in God’s eyes and rejecting any form of evil.
Now those who emphasize the relational aspect of Christianity are absolutely correct. The God of the Bible is not some remote deity uninterested in the affairs of the world. Nor is he a faceless bureaucrat, running the world with cold, impersonal efficiency. Nor is he an angry, impetuous tyrant, making unreasonable demands and lashing out when he doesn’t get his way.
No: the God of the Bible is the one who created a marvelous world of beauty and abundance; a place where humans were meant to thrive. (And not just humans but the rest of creation too: the birds of the air, the fish of the sea and every animal & plant on the face of the earth.) People are indeed designed to be in relationship with God, to know and worship him – the source of all joy and goodness.
This crucial relational aspect of Christianity was present right from the beginning. Genesis describes how the man & his wife enjoyed fellowship with God in the Garden of Eden. Tragically, this communion was shattered by their disobedience. After they had eaten the forbidden fruit, the couple fled in shame from the presence of the LORD. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”
There were severe consequences for the sin of Adam and Eve: alienation, pain, futility and ultimately death itself. But the rest of the Bible recounts the story of how the Lord is working to restore the fractured relationship between man and God.
It’s well worth pondering some of the moments in scripture which reveal the intensely personal nature of God, the one who relentlessly seeks relationship with his human creatures.
One such story involves a woman named Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant of Sarah the wife of Abraham. Despite God’s promises, Sarah had failed to bear Abraham a son. Lacking patience, Sarah hatched a plan to build a family through her female servant, as was often the custom of that day. Predictably, this misguided practice created a bitter rivalry between the two women. When Hagar conceived her son Ishmael, her relationship with Sarah went south fast. Hagar despised Sarah, knowing that her mistress was merely using her as a tool to produce an heir. Sarah, undoubtedly envious of Hagar’s fertility, responded by further mistreating Hagar.
God did fulfill his promise 14 years later by granting Abraham and Sarah their son Isaac. When this happened, Sarah pressured Abraham to drive Hagar and Ishmael away so that they might not share in the family inheritance. So it came about that Abraham sent Hagar and her son off. She wandered into the desert of Beersheba where her provisions soon ran out. In anguish, Hagar left her son beneath a bush and slumped down nearby, thinking “I cannot watch the boy die.” She burst into tears.
But the Lord looked down upon Hagar and Ishmael in their distress: “God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar…’What is the matter Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.’ …Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.”
This relatively obscure account beautifully illustrates the personal care and compassion of God. The meaning is especially powerful considering that Hagar and her son were not a part of the covenant family; it would be through Isaac that the greater purposes of God would be accomplished. In other words, Hagar was not a main character in the storyline. Yet in her moment of deepest distress, God regarded Hagar’s suffering and provided for her needs. What we ought to conclude from this tale is that there are no minor characters in the eyes of God. His loving concern reaches out to each and every one of us.
The relational aspect of God’s character is revealed many times throughout the scriptures. In the book of Exodus, Moses memorably stood in a cleft of the rock when God passed by and proclaimed his name: “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.” True, the LORD is just and will hold the guilty accountable. But God takes no delight in human waywardness. Rather, he is full of grace and compassion, longing for humans to live in obedience to him so that they might experience fullness of joy and life.
Ultimately, the kind of relationship that God seeks with his people is that of a father to his children. As Paul writes, “All who are led by the Spirit of God are God’s children. …you received the Spirit of sonship, in whom we call out ‘Abba, Father!’ When that happens, it is the Spirit itself giving supporting witness to what our own spirit is saying, that we are God’s children. And if we’re children, we are also heirs: heirs of God and fellow heirs with the Messiah.”
Many readers know that the Aramaic term ‘Abba’ is one of close intimacy. This is the primary image that the Bible invites us to use when we consider our relationship with the God of the universe. He seeks to pour out lavish blessing upon his children; no good thing will he withhold from us. All his riches – the abundance of the entire created order – God wishes to bequeath to his children as their inheritance.
God is indeed the God of relationship. But at we shall see in the next blog, he is also a God who loves religion. He delights in sound doctrine. God invested his authority in the sacred writings of scripture. Jesus himself ordained religious rituals including a ceremonial meal. And moral obligations are central to the Christian life.
So remember, Christianity is about relationship, but it’s also about religion.
