Why is religion important to the world? Why be concerned that there are more and more people who consider themselves “spiritual but not religious”? I recently read an article in Sojourners Magazine, “‘Nones’ and the Common Good,” by Eboo Patel suggesting that religion is needed because of all the schools, hospitals, drug treatment facilities, refugee resettlement programs, disaster relief, and day care centers, etc. that churches and religious organizations create and support. The idea is that society would be significantly diminished without all these institutions and programs that are maintained by religious groups. And spiritual but not religious does not bring people together to pool their resources to offer assistance and help to society.
Yes, religious groups have made enormous contributions to society through initiatives to foster the social good. Patel tells us that, “According to Harvard social scientist Robert Putnam, half of U.S. social capital is religiously driven.” The world would be significantly impoverished without the programs and institutions that have been founded and maintained by religious groups.
While society may benefit from religious people coming together to serve society, I am not sure that maintaining social service institutions will get people into the doors of the church. Will an ad saying “come to our church to help keep the food pantry open” bring hoards of people bursting through the door? I doubt it. But people are more inclined to want be part of a church that encourages service and is doing something for the betterment of the world. Maybe more of a focus on service and less on sin would attract people to church. Maybe if the church were extending a welcoming hand instead of waving a wagging finger people would be attracted to the church. Church is about connecting with God, experiencing the transcendent, being part of a bigger reality, being rescued from self absorption, living for others, creating communities of compassion and acceptance and joy.
As for all these institutions, why do religious groups create and maintain all these programs and hospitals and shelters, etc.? Because there are unmet needs in society. There are gaps in our social contract as a country and as a worldwide community. The church is trying to catch the people who are falling between the cracks.
I dream of the day when there are no gaps; when people are not slipping through a safety net. I dream of the day when society as a whole has chosen to meet the basic needs of all the citizens: Healthcare, drug treatment, childcare, education, food, shelter, and other necessities are accessible and available to everyone, so the church is not needed fill in because there are no gaps. Church people offer service by working in the organizations and institutions maintained by society that help to keep everyone afloat.
It never ceases to amaze me the hypocrisy of living in a so-called Christian country that has seemingly endless resources for the military but does not have even the will let alone the way to see that everyone has food, shelter, education, and healthcare. Jesus went around healing and teaching and taking care of others. He didn’t take up arms. He took people into his arms. May we embrace his vision.
Prayer: We pray for the human family. We pray for those with material needs and those with spiritual needs. We pray for ourselves. May we be part of creating a world where everyone has food and shelter and healthcare and safety and dignity. We give thanks for the church of Jesus Christ fueling our dreams of a world in which peace is built with justice. Amen.
Article cited, “‘Nones’ and the Common Good” by Eboo Patel in the March 2014 issue of Sojourners Magazine, p. 12.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 