Christian Clichés: Religion

First of all I would like to start off with the topic of religion. What is religion? I have recently been hearing alot of excerpts from C.S. Lewis's book "Mere Christianity". In an excerpt that I read recently he makes one of the strongest connections between religion, the bible, and our walk with God that I have ever heard. He tells the story of a soldier in World War II who, in the dessert of Northern Africa, had a personal encounter where he knew God was there. He experienced God in such a real way that when he came back he described the religion that he saw as being so petty and unsubstantial compared to his experience. C.S. Lewis says that he has to agree with the soldier. Religion is so insubstantial compared to the experience that God wants us to have. C.S. Lewis likened the experience that the man had in the desert of northern Africa to standing on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. It is real. You can feel the wind blowing your hair, smell the salt spray, and hear the waves crash on the shore as they roll from the western horizon. You could also go home and look at a Map where blue represents the Pacific Ocean and brown represents the mainland and various islands. The map is not a real experience with the ocean, but gives us a picture of what the ocean is. Without the map of the Ocean you can do nothing more than stand on the seashore. C.S. Lewis brings out the point that we can merely stand on the seashore in our experience with God. We can be satisfied with merely an awesome feeling and the experience of His closeness, but this experience will not take us anywhere. We can not understand the vast hugeness of what is at our fingertips without a map. God's infinite love was once again brought to my mind as I read this. God, in his love, has given us, through his word, a map, a guideline for how to experience him deeper than just a seashore experience. The Bible makes us able to see what God is like. With the word of God in hand we can have the courage to push from the sandy shores of our current vista and experience God without having a foot on the shore (our own desires). I encourage you to take that journey starting today and it will be the adventure of your life. "You shall find me when you search for me with all your heart."