During my stay in several Western countries, I experienced icy and conceited comments such as "religiousness isn't popular anymore". Religiousness makes people unwilling and morose because of exaggeration and sometimes even hypocrisy.
I found out that in times of Covid-19 more and more people started praying again. Since then the coronavirus no longer allows us to go to church, worshipping and its broadcasts happened online. Of course, it's not the same as before. As I said before: nothing will be the same as before... But it doesn't mean that I cut my relationship with God and stop talking to him.
Increasing negative headlines about the "institutional church" nowadays and also in the past, and embarrassing comparisons lead only to discord. People have asked if there is still a chance of religiousness.
How come? We want to see the religiosity of our fellow creatures. We want to understand their ideology. But we are also poking our nose into other people's business too much. Let's look behind the scenes and let's find out what religious behavior promotes: humility in actual life. Maybe. It's hard for us to do without affecting others. We even forget the real meaning of religiousness.
St. John Crysostom subscribed to the topic "Pagans and Christians" very well: "There would be no pagans if we were good Christians. But the pagans see us manifesting the same desires, pursuing the same objects - power and honor - as themselves, how can they admire Christianity?
They see our lives open to reproach and our souls worldly. We admire wealth equally with them and even more. How, then, can they believe? From miracles? But these are no longer wrought. From our conversion? It has become corrupt. From charity? Not a trace of it is anywhere seen. (Quotation "Winnowing Fan", Vol. XX, June 2003, S of G Foundation, Makati).
If I talk about myself I am proud to have people in my surroundings who taught me how to be on the right track - unconcerned and unnoticed. Natural and uninhibited, they showed me how to put real religiousness into action besides praying and going regularly to the church in the past. I call such people religious. I mean it as praise because they don't like to blow their trumpets while acting like Christians in our daily life. Having such people around us makes it easier to practice forgiveness...
And, as always, my dear readers: stay safe and healthy!
