I
recently saw an ad for a brand of clothing geared toward youth. It consists of
blue jeans and all the accessories designed to go with them. There is nothing
novel about that. What got my attention, however, was the name of this clothing
line. It is called “True Religion.” That caused me to stop and think. Why
was that name chosen? Am I missing some deeper significance? What is the
connection between a brand of jeans and true religion? What do they mean by it?
My musings left me with questions for which I had no answers.
I am
thankful that the book of James is clear when describing true religion or true
faith: “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit
orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the
world” (1:27). That is refreshing. “True religion”—genuine faith—is an
expression of how we relate to our God. One evidence of our new identity in Christ
is the way we care for one another—reaching to the most frail and vulnerable
among us, to those most in need of help.
True
religion is not a garment to be taken on and off. It is a lofty challenge about
how we live before a holy God and others.
You don’t
advertise your religion by wearing a label – you do it by living a life. (RBC)
