True Religion?

True religion is found by being fully engaged in the needs of those around us.

True religion is not found in paid employment, where we are rewarded for our good efforts, it is not found in High Church congregationalism, where healthy people come to only receive from God without a thought for their neighbour who is need. Rather true religion is found in a heart attitude, where we consider those around us, those in front of us in the street, those we encounter who are in need, where we have compassion for their plight, both physically as well as spiritually. True religion desires to meet the whole need of the man.

In his book Resurrection and Discipleship, Lorenzen writes, “When God shared his life with His creation, he does not only want to save a person’s soul, but he wants to save the person’s life.” The Salvation Army’s heritage is to speak on behalf of those who have no voice, to use its influence as an advocate for those who have no influence. To stand in the gap between a world hell bent on individualism and prosperity, and those who do not know who they are and who lack the energy and will to do anything about it.

I am looking forward to the series Boundless Salvation, the DVD series that John Cleary, David Philp, and other are working on. It will afford us the opportunity to look at our heritage, and remember the ‘mission spirit’ of TSA. To critically look at where we are today, and what we are doing. To recall us to the founding principles of True and relevant religion, that really is grass roots. A religion that truly is a reflection of the way that Jesus lived his life while we walked amongst us.

When WT Stead was imprisoned for his work with Bramwell Booth in fighting the Maiden Tribute campaign against child prostitution, he wrote a series of letters from his cell. In one of these he reflected on the nature of Christian mission.

“Do you know what I think Jesus Christ would do if He came now? He would go to church and chapel ever so many times and listen, and no one would speak to Him. He would look to see who sat round Him and he would see no ragged people, no harlots, only respectable people. And He would hear all these respectable people singing hymns to Christ, and giving all the glory to Christ, and then after standing it a long time, Jesus would stand up some day in the middle of the Church as say just two words, ‘Damn Christ!’ and then he would go out and go down some slum and put His arms round the neck of some poor lost orphan girl, who was having a bitter cry, and say ‘Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest…’ The hardest cross Christ has to bear is the cross that is made of those who call themselves His own church”. Shortly after, he writes “Never tell anyone to be a Christian. Always tell them to ‘be Christ’”.
Estelle Stead, My Father, pp142-145