Distorted Religion: Ayodhya and Us
The violence makes me wonder how "holy" the site really is. Sacred spaces not withstanding - isn't there more to religion than fighting over who gets what? It seems that sometimes when we want to get our way we declare something "holy" which is a political way of saying, "Don't mess with what's mine." Or "Stay out of my business."
I remember watching an interview with the Imam who is trying to build a mosque in NYC near the former World Trade Center buildings. And this "Christian" guy was shouting at him, "this is holy ground." You can't build a mosque on MY holy ground. The Imam challenged him by pointing out that there were strip clubs and pawn shops on his "holy ground". Why wasn't he upset about these?
Attributing special significance to places and things and rituals has always been part of religious practice. And many times these attachments can be healthy and can actually move us closer to God and one another. But sometimes "holy" or "sacred" can simply be an excuse to exclude and/or keep others and God distant. And when we do that we make something holy into something profane.
Christians might remember Jesus' conversation with a woman from Samaria at a well near Sychar. Part of the conversation is Jesus breaking down the rigidness of site and place. The Samaritan woman has recognized Jesus as a holy man, but she still tries to keep her distance by pointing out that Jews and Samaritans don't worship in the same places (or presumably in the same ways). It's her way of dismissing him. But Jesus refuses the distance and challenges her. "...A time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks." (John 4:23)
The issues of sacred lands and ancient temples might seem far removed from the day to day existence of most Christians. But is it?
For example, I know plenty of churches that spend more money on their buildings than on people. If you stretch the definition a little that could be considered religious violence.
I've seen some pretty brutal church politics over the maintenance of buildings. What color is the carpet? What to do about the broken A/C? Who's gonna pay for it and who's gonna fix it?
I've heard rumors about fights over land and buildings in some churches where the denomination owns the facility. What happens when the people in the church move away from where the denomination is headed? They fight. Some churches going so far as to second mortgage their facility to dissuade the denomination from taking it over.
It's easy to look at the fighting between the Muslims and Hindus in India over Ayodhya and feel like it's far away. But in reality we (Christians) have these tendencies to be territorial too. And our mission suffers as a result. We would all do well to listen in again as Jesus talks with a woman at a well.
