As Jim Sees It

Occasionally someone will tell me, “I’m not very religious because I don’t need a crutch.” Or, “Religion is for people seeking an escape from real life.” Or, “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” I don’t actually hear that last one a lot, I just wanted to let you know that I read a book one time. Anyway, you get the picture.

Crutch? An escape? I wonder which Bible those folks are reading. Mine has a couple of stories about people of faith, shutting the mouths of lions, quenching raging fire, escaping the edge of the sword, winning strength out of weakness, becoming mighty in war, being tortured, refusing to accept release, suffering mocking, flogging, chains and imprisonment. (See Hebrews 11: 32-37) If they were trying to escape, I think David might have been running the wrong way when he met Goliath and the disciples should have just divided the five loaves and two fish among themselves. To heck with all those other hungry people.

I know some people do actually use their religion as an escape, but don’t let that lead us to believe they are representing an authentic response to God’ call. Our Lord calls us to stand vulnerably and open hearted before the world, telling our friends and neighbors God loves them and is with them in the midst of life.

It sure doesn’t feel like an escape when the Spirit bids me to go where I wouldn’t choose to go on my own; to give what I would prefer to keep; to speak when I don’t want to rock the boat; to hurt and cry when I would rather escape; to walk and not faint when crutches look so inviting.

Two things before we get started.

First, this one is directed at young parents who are probably too busy to sit around reading “As Jim Sees It.”

Second, in a minute you are going to ask, “Where did that come from?” Let me answer before we get there. I am a preacher, an old man that came up in a time when the culture took Sundays off so people could go to church, and knowing that there are youth soccer games on Sunday morning drives me crazy.

So, here we go. Let’s talk about child development and math.

To start, we will assume that you and yours are church going people. That’s how you were raised or maybe you made that decision a while back. Either way, that is who you are.

Now, let’s say you have a child. I know it feels like he or she will be two forever and you have plenty of time to instill your family’s values. Truth is, you have maybe, eight-hundred Sundays. Those are the Sundays they have to go to church just because you say so. Eight-hundred. Seems like a lot when you are on your first fifty but it is a finite number.

Let’s say you miss thirty of the first hundred because it is just hard to get a baby up, fed, dressed and to nursery where they really aren’t learning anything anyway. Then you miss thirty of the next one-hundred fifty because everybody’s young and its fun to take them to the mountains and beach on the weekends. Then you miss a hundred of the next three-hundred fifty for all the above reasons, plus soccer games and they are spending the night with friends. Now they are twelve, stay up too late on Saturday night, “Johnny doesn’t go to church!” and they are going to come in late from various trips and band competitions. Plus, it’s tough to argue a teen or a tweener out of bed, into the shower, out of the shower, into the car, to church. Let’s say you miss fifty of the next two-hundred. Times up. You missed over twenty-five percent of your chances to instill your family’s church going values. Two-hundred ten.

I wonder if that’s too many? Don’t know. Do you?