"But when sin entered the human race, it rendered everyone spiritually dead and thereby alienated from God. Our spirits were no longer able to unite with the Lord in close communion. However, Jesus came to pay the penalty for sin with His death, and now all who trust Him as their Savior are spiritually reborn. Their connection with God has been reopened through Christ (Eph. 2:1-5)."*
THAT's religion. When I was in twelfth grade I took a Christian education class (had to take one every year, I was in a Christian school) but that last year the material and content felt especially relevant. It's always bothered me that the word religion has been taken to mean our ritualistic devotion to God. Our teacher Mrs. Santos taught us that the meaning of the word comes from the latin:
re + ligare
re, meaning again and ligare meaning to link. Religion is, therefore, how the link between God and man is made. Going by Christian doctrine, the fall in the beginning caused the link to rupture and Jesus re-linked us to God. The point: Jesus is my religion.
* from Our Greatest and Most Rewarding Pursuit
