True Religion

           There were no crosses, crescent moons, Stars of David, or any other symbols representing one of the world’s major religions. Instead, there was simply a leather patch attached to the waistband of a pair of designer jeans. 

           I discovered this new expression of religious piety while attending a preaching conference in Minneapolis. At one of our breaks, my friend and I decided to check out Minneapolis’ main claim to fame – The Mall of America. As we began to walk past its 500 plus stores, I decided we were not in a mall. We were in the temple of the great American deity, Materialismo, who is also known as the God of Much Spending. I’ve never seen a place where worshippers could spend so much money under one roof. Of course, the usual altars to the gods of spending were there: Sears, Old Navy, The Gap, Victoria’s Secret, etc., but many of the stores were new to me. 

           Of all the spending establishments, the store I found most interesting was one that apparently sold religious products. No, it wasn’t Lifeway, Cokesbury, or Augsburg. It was called True Religion. 

           As I stood in front of the True Religion store, I looked for the usual array of religious products: bibles, devotional books, and novels about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Instead, what I saw were pouty-faced manikins wearing designer jeans and top-end tee shirts, none of which bore words of spiritual significance. When I looked at the waistband of the jeans I saw it, the leather patch touting the designer logo – True Religion. Yes, True Religion was a brand of high-end jeans. 

           As I glanced in the store and saw row after row of jeans, I wondered why someone might choose True Religion as their name brand. Then I realized the words, True Religion had no spiritual meaning for the designer. True Religion was simply a phrase with fad-appeal. 

           As I though more about it, I realized the store’s brand was an indictment on those of us who profess a true religion. To some extent, we’ve being relegated to insignificance for possessing dogmas that carry little truth or meaning. Unfortunately, secular society has put our piety in the same category as Old Navy, The Gap, and Victoria’s Secret. (God help us!)

           I guess we had it coming. For years, we’ve gradually let our religion acquiesce to the fads and trends of the secular world. Instead of “being in the world but not of the world,” we’ve chosen to become like the world we once tried to influence. Should it really surprise us that the secular world has chosen to honor our acquiescence by making us the brand name of their latest fad?

           So what does, indeed, constitute True Religion? James describes True Religion like this in James 1:27. 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. According to James, True Religion reveals itself in two ways. It reaches out to meet the needs of hurting people; and its proponents distinguish themselves by refusing to conform to the secular world.

           True Religion. At one time, it was symbolized by a cross. Now, true religion appears to be little more than a denim fad. Maybe it’s time for you and me to do more with our faith than fly by the seat of our pants.