Then said Jesus unto the Twelve, "Will ye also go away?" Then Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of eternal life."  (John 6:67-68, KJV)

For nearly two thousand years, Jesus has asked the same question of those who call themselves his followers. And sadly, there have always been many who have answered "Yes" to the question. Who or what have been some of the people, places, and things to which Christians have gone, away from Jesus?

From the 4th century through the Middle Ages, the large majority of professed Christians went to the Church. Confused? The Church, which Jesus established, became corrupted, establishing human authority above that of God. The Church decided who was good and who was bad, what you could think and what you could not think. If your idea of who Jesus was differed from their idea, you either changed your mind or you were killed. The hierarchy of the Church claimed prerogatives belonging only to God himself. The teachings and authority of Jesus were pushed well into the background. Reformers beginning with Wycliffe in the 14th century, Hus in the 15th, and Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli in the 16th century attempted to change things. Their results were mixed; some reforms were short-lived, some longer lasting. Men and women have been trying ever since to reform their churches.

A big change took place in the 18th century, in the so-called Age of the Enlightenment. Figures such as Gibbon, Hume, Kant, Locke, Paine, and Rousseau played their parts in a revolutionary change of thinking. As Wikipedia perfectly states, "reason was advocated as the primary source and legitimacy for authority." In other words, humans are capable of trusting in their own ability to determine good and bad, truth versus myth. Revelation cannot be trusted, as it is contrary to reason. During the de-Christianizing period of the French Revolution, a woman representing the Goddess "Reason" was famously installed in Notre Dame Cathedral on November 10, 1793.

In the 19th century, another sea change took place in the wake of Charles Darwin's publication "On the Origin of Species" in 1859. Gradually, science became the new faith of many. The theory of evolution supposedly showed that God was no longer needed to explain history.

I'm running out of space, but think of all of the replacements for Jesus the 20th century up to the present day has offered: the "isms" of Communism, Fascism, Nationalism, Socialism, Consumerism, Militarism; technology, sex, drugs...the list is endless.

The take-away of all of this? The history of the followers of Jesus Christ is replete with myriad substitutions which individuals have chosen to go after. And they have all failed. Despite the claims made for it, science does not have all the answers. Governments come and go. Violence fails to bring lasting peace. Human reason clearly is not sufficient. We cannot buy happiness. On and on.

The answer? Turn back to the one who was The Answer. The One with the words of eternal life.

Help me Jesus. The world offers many alternatives to you. Life is like a spiritual obstacle course. I am constantly tempted to divert from the path you set for me to follow. I cannot do it by myself. I need your guidance daily to keep my eyes on the only prize that matters, sharing eternal life with you and our Heavenly Father. Maranatha. Amen.

Contributed by David
Sunday July 12, 2009
Liturgical Year B Week 33
Sunday Gospel Readings:
Lectionary 15 (Proper 10) Sixth Sunday after Pentecost