10 lagunabeachindy . com MARCH 15 , 2024
GUEST OPINION :
What ’ s Religion ’ s Future ? It Depends Who You Ask
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By Russ Gerber
Old friends from my early career days recently found me through social media , and each time one of their messages arrived , I was whisked back 25-30 years , when we first got to know each other well .
Then I discovered just how much has changed over the years , not just in how they look ( which comes as no surprise ) but also in how some of them have a strong , outspoken interest in spiritual and religious matters .
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Nothing even close to religion ever surfaced in all the years we knew each other and worked together — far from it .
Their interest in living a more spiritual life and connecting with a church was surprising news for another reason . It ’ s taking place in a world that we ’ re told is witnessing the twilight of religion . Statistics show a rise in the number of unaffiliated religious people . Commentators often point to religion ’ s uncertain future and an increasingly secular society .
My friends seem unmoved by that . They simply , naturally , wanted to be more selfless and compassionate , feel more secure and less materialistic , be a lot happier and healthier , and find that the path that most directly got them there was spiritual .
What brought about the change ? I suppose there ’ s a long list of factors : maturity , education , parenthood ( and grandparenthood ), life experiences ( mine as well as theirs ), and a world that offers few solutions .
But I suspect there ’ s something else going on .
In our conversations , I sense a deeper , spiritual nature and outlook emerging . For some , it comes across
as having more patience at a time when they used to be in a rush . For others , it ’ s letting go of longstanding grudges and forgiving . Others have resolved to spend more time praying . Some now support worthy causes they ignored in the past . Still , others have become devout Christians and take their role and opportunity to heal suffering in society seriously .
Such changes are subtle and might go unnoticed for a long while . But over time , they add up to a transformation of character — a brighter outlook on life — the sense of discovering a buoyant , more genuine selfhood and realizing that the old way of thinking of themselves was superficial and is becoming a thing of the past .
Do these few isolated examples call into question the larger trend data regarding religion today ? Not necessarily . But they suggest to me that while the tendency might be to buy into the perception that religion ’ s influence is diminishing , that ’ s not the full picture .
When experiences like my friend ’ s and others come into notice , it appears more is going on below the surface . It would be a mistake to overlook the invisible , spiritual influence
that ’ s gradually transforming hearts and minds , and the greater potential for change that comes with that . People who see themselves in a new light feel better about themselves and are likely to see and treat others in a new way . It has a ripple effect .
Although you ’ ll not find the word “ religion ” used anywhere in the Old Testament of the Bible , there ’ s no shortage of references to “ light ,” and according to the Bible , the source of that light is God , who saw it as good . Religion , at its best , is a lot like light . It ’ s the illumination and transforming power that comes with spiritual discoveries .
Some might see occasional glimmers of light and conclude that we ’ re drifting into twilight . The horizon looks dark . Others , like my friends , see these glimmers differently , as the beginning of a new day . To them , the future looks bright .
Russ and his wife moved back home to Southern California after working in Boston as the media manager for the Christian Science church . With a background in publishing , most of his time is spent writing , reading , volunteering and grandparenting .
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