The difference between faith and religion.

The majority of Christians have been raised by Christian parents. They were either raised within the ranks of the AFM, the Protestant movement or as Roman Catholics. In general, most Christians have been raised within Christian communities. The unfortunate thing of becoming a second or a third generation believer is that it becomes harder and harder to distinguish between faith and religion. When a person is raised a Christian, that person is let to believe that there are certain ways do things within the said Christian community; the way communion is served, the way baptism is interpreted and even as far as the right of passage, becoming an adult or the proclamation to the world and fellow believers of acceptance of faith.

There are quite a vast amount of rituals and traditions that one can find within a Christian community. Yet even if they all fly under the same banner, when one goes to look close to each one will find that each have a certain set of rituals and traditions accepted as the way that faith needs to be lived out. The ironic thing is that it is these traditions that become the focal point of those communities’ faith. The religious aspect of life and of their denomination becomes the compass of perception, interaction and dealing with people of other faiths, fellow Christians of other denominations and even own denominational community members. The sad part of this is that we as human beings gets so wrapped up in tradition that we feel insulted when someone challenge  the tradition of our religion.  When, by all means, it is not about religion.  It is not about the tradition.

Christianity is supposed to be about the faith. Faith moves a person to do things differently. Faith moves a person to challenge themself. As faith moves a person to challenge themselves it moves them to challenge those around them. To be able to knock on your neighbour’s door and offer them half the cookies you just baked because you know it is too much for a household of two. To look at your own household and recognise the person helping you keep your house in order. Realising that even though we complain about the amount of money we pay them that the work that they do for you and the amount of time that they save you to allow you to spend time with your family is invaluable. To be able to sit down at a dinner table in a clean home, knowing your washing has been done and ironed, the floors have been washed and the dishes are done. Recognising in a certain extent that in the same way we can’t put money or a price on our time with our families, we also can’t put money and a price to the value they add to your household and our families. Once you come to that realisation, it moves you. At times it would move you to help them buy a home, put their children through school or even just contribute at the end of every month to their lifestyles. You know the luxuries you buy yourself that you don’t think twice about, like meat or hygiene products. Those things that you can’t really afford to do without because you have been raised in a certain way. To realise the person cleaning my home sometimes actually goes without those things. That is the things I see when I look at faith.

If I keep on wrapping myself with the cloak of religion, I could go sit in a church every week.  I could serve tea at church every week.  Religion informs that servitude in a sense can be good enough, just as long as it doesn’t overstep my boundaries and my comfort. You see I inform my faith, through which I push things in directions it is not supposed to go. I religiously follow these set of traditions so no one can find fault. If I take away tradition, the way things have always been done. If I take away religion, all the theology and the way people have thought and currently think about Christianity. Then I sit with the raw faith. Then when I look at the outside world, all of a sudden the world seems like my oyster and my stage. It becomes a place where I can make a difference every second of every day. A place where I will be known for the love I have, not only for my friends but even more so for my enemies. I will be known as a compassionate person, loving, giving and not demanding. Then my life just might become Christ-like. The words of Paul where he asks us to become holy, to become like Christ and to live like him can start ringing true to my life. I don’t think Paul meant becoming inhuman, having super powers, no I think it means becoming faithfully, more loving and living in the presence in the kingdom of God.

• < Prev