Spiritual Questions?

Losing My Religion: If I'm So Done With Faith, Why Do I Still Feel Its loss?

That was the Huffington Post headline that met me head on when I opened my email yesterday morning. It got my attention because I think it's a question that many people ask themselves today. The article was written by Margaret Wheeler Johnson, the Women's Editor for Huffington Post. In it she chronicles her journey of faith, her departure from religion, her life without faith, and the aching loss she still feels despite her negative experiences with religion.

A few things struck me profoundly:

• It reminded me of my own faith story and my journey from religion to relationship.

• It gave me hope because she was still wresting with and questioning that loss.

• It drove home how few safe places there are in the world today, even within Christian community, to discuss questions about faith and life.

• The depth of the anger, pain and disillusionment expressed by those who left comments was overwhelming.

• Christians who commented tended to argue/pick fights, and in so doing, missed opportunities to extend compassion, to listen, and to step in the gap to apologize (acting as agents of healing)

•  It gave me a glimpse into the hearts and minds of those who live life apart from God and I began to grieve deeply and pray specifically for our communities, our nation, our faith communities and our world. (I was convicted that I don't pray for the lost enough)

I did leave a comment: “I believe there is a God sized hole in each human heart, that only He can fill. Religion and tradition will always disappoint and disillusion. A relationsh­ip with the living God is all that can satisfy and make us complete. He designed us with that yearning so we would seek after Him, though it seems, He is already seeking after and pursuing us...”

And I did receive many sad, angry and hate-filled responses from folks interacting on her page. I won't bother posting all of them but here are two in particular:

"Nice pretty words, there, but meaningless."

"It's kind of like missing the Parent that beat & abused you, and who you still hate even though they're now dead.... It's wishing things had been different, wishing you had, had a parent like the great parents one of your friends had. Even if you still miss your hateful parent, you still long for what could have been."

I believe that people are still searching hard to find purpose and meaning for their lives, they wish their experiences with church and religion had been different and they are still longing for what could have been. How will we, the church, respond to these kinds of opportunities? Will we get it right? Are we willing to listen as they tell their pain-filled stories? Can we listen without judging? Will we validate their pain or try to minimize it? Where will they go to ask spiritual questions? If they come to you, will you respond with love?

Lord help us, Your church, to be that safe and loving space for people to come, just as they are, with their spiritual questions. Help us to love them with your strength, mercy, wisdom and compassion, so that they might encounter You.


Link to view the full article
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margaret-wheeler-johnson/atheism-religion-doubt-faith_b_1172849.html?ref=tw