When surveys are conducted on the religiosity of Christians, people are categorized into one of two groups: “practicing” and “non-practicing”.
And when we analyze what is the factor used to differentiate them, we see that it is the attendance, periodical or not, to some church.
This is so because “people look at the outward appearance”. They have no other way of evaluating alleged religiosity.
But this way of looking often leaves us blind to the truth.
Because being a Christian is much more than attending one or many meetings.
To be a Christian is to have had a personal encounter with God, to have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, to have let the Word of God become real in our lives, showing God’s love and following his holiness.
To be a Christian is not to fulfill some rites, to be a Christian is to live the life of God, in love and for love. It is to show the light of God to a world that lives in darkness.
Then we discover what we already know: being a Christian has no half measures.
Because pretending to be a “non-practicing” Christian is like wanting to be a “non-breathing” person.
Cover image by Oscar Keys on Unsplash