"Religion...gives some people comfort, and we don't want to take it away from them. It's like knitting. People like to knit. We're not going to take their knitting needles away; we're not going to take away their churches. But what we have to do is get it to a place where religion is treated at the level it should be treated. That is, something fun that people get together and do on the weekend and really doesn't affect their life as much as it has been so far."
Every time I hear that quote, I feel torn between anger and tears. Anger that something as precious as my relationship with a living God could be considered something that should be kept to the weekend and not allowed to affect my life, and sadness at the realization that this is how many people view religion - something fun to do on the weekend, but which has no bearing on how they live the rest of the week.
What do you think God thinks of this attitude? He is the Almighty, Holy Creator of the Universe gave us the precious gift of His Son - who sacrificed Himself on the cross - to bear the penalty of our sin - so that we could live with Him forever. And we have taken that sacrifice and effectively spit on it, stomped on it, and ground it into the dust. He offers us intimacy with Him, resulting in immeasurable comfort, peace, and joy. The response to this offer? The very ones Christ died for hold His gift at arm's length. It's something fun to do on the weekend - kind of like knitting, but we wouldn't want to get carried away and let it affect our lives.
As shocking as I found Myers' statement to be, even more shocking was the realization that I came to this afternoon. I have been guilty of treating my faith exactly as he describes - as a hobby. Something to do on the weekends. True, I have always felt that my faith MUST affect my life - but only when convenient. As soon as my schedule starts to fill up with work and family responsibilities, I set my relationship with God aside for the moment to make room - as if it were of lesser importance than the other areas of my life.
I am overwhelmed with grief at the thought that I have taken this relationship offered to me by the Almighty God and carelessly tossed it on the shelf with my needlepoint, my quilting, my gardening supplies, my scrapbooking, and yes, my knitting needles - as if it were just one more hobby to be picked up and discarded at will.
God forgive me.
