Religion, the Church, and the Bridegroom
My words fly up, my thoughts remain below;
Words without thoughts never to heaven go. -Hamlet, Act III, Scene 3
I had received some feedback on my essay Learning the 3 R’s: Relationship vs. Religion that I may have been too harsh with respect to God’s attitude toward religion. After ruminating on the concepts, I believe that clarification is indeed warranted.
God doesn’t hate religion per se; he hates a religiosity that is comprised of lip service, of empty words and meaningless gestures that substitute for the heartfelt conversations and substantive blessings He longs to share with His children – the way any earthly father desires with his own children.
I recall the sense of community and unity (can’t have community without unity!) that we experienced in the town I grew up in central New Jersey. The heart of our community was St. Joseph the Carpenter Church, where the various families that made up the parish would come together as one family on Sundays and various holy days throughout the year.
St. Joseph’s is a Roman Catholic Church, and it follows the teachings and traditions of the Catholic faith, and yes, religion. But the religion is not what defined the Church per se. Nor was it defined by the building on the corner of Third Avenue and Walnut Street, made of stone and wood; or the rituals that were celebrated in the various masses that were held within that building. Those practices and rites are a part of the outward demonstration of the community’s faith and belief system – that faith and those beliefs being the very soul of the Church. The emphasis here is not on religion – it is on the Church itself. The Church is the spiritual identity that made all those families coming together at St. Joseph’s, one spiritual family: brothers and sisters in Christ, who gathered in church to thank and worship a loving Father.
Seeing a recent post from a friend, celebrating thirty years of marital bliss with his lovely wife, reminded me of a couple of things. One, we’re all getting old (ha) and two, how sacred the relationship of marriage is to God. I say that because it is the language of marriage that Jesus uses to describe His relationship to His Church. Jesus describes His Church as His Bride – and Himself as the Bridegroom. The Church, as represented by the individuals who make up a Church, is sacred to God. So sacred that He uses these words that describe the most intimate of human relationships: that being between a man and woman, a husband and wife. In God’s eyes, according to the Scriptures, there is no other relationship in humanity that can match the power of personal intimacy of a husband and wife. Because God ordained that the two shall become one flesh in the consummation of their marriage vows. And in no other relationship, can the most God-like act ever be replicated: the creation of new life.
The point here is that the Church is a sacred entity, not because of religion, but because of the relationship it has with God. The Church is the Bride of Christ. Christ is the Bridegroom. Christ lays down His life for His Church-Bride, so His Church-Bride can be reconciled to Him, and be reunited with Him, and be one with Him spiritually. The Bridegroom protects his Church-Bride, nurtures His Church-Bride, places His Church-Bride as His top priority, and loves His Church-Bride unconditionally. And most importantly, has prepared a place for His Bride, His Church, to live out an eternal life of happily ever after.
It is the ultimate love story.
