(part 3 of a series…. click here for previous)
Dinner in Antigua - Encountering Two Types of Religious People
Gridlock forced us to park blocks away from Antigua city center. We spilled out of the van and made our way on foot across cobblestone roads to the square where we found thousands packed along what was to be a Procession of people from the local Catholic Church. Teddy thought the ceremony served as an indulgence for attendees in which they have the promise of reduced time in purgatory. Those in the parade were dressed either in suits or hooded robes. The suits carried a huge and heavy platform that the robed figures stood on. Crowning the structure was a glass coffin holding a mannequin of Jesus.
Video clip of procession:
I was sad for these men. A read through of even one of the accounts of Jesus’ time on earth (Mathew, Mark, Luke, John) is sufficient to understand that he does not grant acceptance through ‘doing stuff’. In fact, it was the humble who followed Jesus (those who realized they couldn’t merit favor) and the religious (those who earned rank by doing stuff) who reacted violently.
As we watched them pass, I prayed they would come to understand “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Jesus
David Watson lead us to a tourist shop where we scored great deals on gifts for friends and family. It was in the back of the store that we ran into this shrine the owner keeps to pacify and gain favor from an idol of Maximon. They offer him tobacco and drink. Maximon isn’t a kind deity.
The rest of the night I reflected on the two actions of religious people we’d seen: people working to get Jesus’ acceptance and other people working to get an idol’s acceptance. It seems that the common denominator in the world’s religions has always been ‘work’… except for Christianity.
Writing to the Church in Ephesus, Paul wanted to make it clear how they gained acceptance with God: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” He was addressing a group who lived in the shadow of the Temple of Diana (aka Artemis) and were all to familiar with religious ‘work’.
Mark Driscoll, in this clip, does a good job of explaining the problems of religion:
