Making religion fun

There is a notion that religion has to be relevant to the times. That is, religion must be transmitted in such a way as to reach people and bring them into the faith. Often, this means making religion fun, especially for young people. Did Christ ever have fun? There is no mention of fun in the Gospels. There was some emphasis on food: the preparation and serving of food and eating together. We might imagine that during these meals there was sometimes levity in the conversation and some laughter. But, we have no indication that Christ (in His ministry) had fun as we know it today or that he attempted to make religion fun.

 Let us look at Martha and Mary as possible examples (Luke 10: 38). Martha was “anxious” and “worried.” By today’s standards, we might say that she was stressed out. What was Christ’s response to her? Did he tell her to take a vacation, go out with the girls for the afternoon, take a swim in the pool, or whatever the equivalent forms of relaxation might have been in those days? No, Christ told her to focus on discipleship, like Mary.

 “There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” 

 Luke 10: 42 

And, what was Mary’s discipleship? Was it one of relevance to the times? No, it meant sitting at the feet of Christ and listening to His teachings. Mary was not having fun, but she was gaining an interior disposition of peace and joy which surpasses any form of fun. Of course, between Martha and Mary, there is also the contrast of the traditional housework role of Martha and the elevated discipleship role of Mary which was made possible by liberation through Christ. It is not wrong to be a diligent homemaker, but discipleship or taking advantage of an opportunity to focus on that discipleship is better because it leads to Eternity.

 If you want to have fun, go to an amusement park. If you want to relax, go fishing. If you want to be entertained, watch a good movie. If you are stressed out, re-assess your priorities. If you want to be a disciple of Christ, however, do not confuse fun with sitting at His feet.

— Aunt Melanie, Repentance and Ascent blog