It is embarrassing to admit but for years, I was what sociologists might classify as a cultural Christian, a person who considers himself a Christian due mainly to family upbringing and/or schooling. However, unlike most cultural Christians, as a student, I already pondered on the meaning of our earthly existence, as well as questions on God and the afterlife, and I sincerely believe in God.
For years, I considered Easter similar to Christmas, an occasion for uninterrupted rest and recreation, for fun holidays. What better time to be un-guilty of being lazy, to wake up late in the mornings, to leisurely read books or re-organize my library, to indulge in sports, to just literally watch the hours and days go idly by?
Of course, since my late mother had an almost child-like Christian religiosity, Easter is one of those Sundays, which we, as kids, would never miss attending church. For years, Easter Sunday, Christmas, and Christianity were all vibrant cultural traditions. For me, they are also logical philosophical concepts and intellectual truisms.
Five evenings before Palm Sunday and just before my weekly Anvil Tuesday badminton match, I dropped by a small Bible study group, led by my friend Edgar Uy Madrazo, because I heard that he would soon be migrating to Canada with his whole family. I wanted to personally bid him goodbye. Coincidentally, when my cell phone conked out earlier, I had it repaired at a shop owned by Christine Kho, who was also a member of this Bible study group, and she texted me to join them.
He said the passion of Christ was an incomparable event in world history, from his betrayal by Judas Iscariot, his trial, public humiliations, physical sufferings in Gethsemane, his dying on the cross on Golgotha beside two thieves, and the reaction of the crowd to his resurrection three days after. All these are what our Christian faith is all about. All these have become the invincible foundations of our Christianity, which has survived countless martyrdoms and crises, which has grown rapidly through 20 centuries into one of the mightiest religion on earth. However, multitudes of cultural Christians have lives, which are largely untouched and unchanged by the selfless sacrifice on the cross and by the inspiring resurrection of Jesus Christ.
There are many things happening in the world that we don’t understand. Why is it so many men and women of power who profess to be Christians continue being so shamelessly sinful and corrupt? Why is the most staunchly Christian nation in Asia for half a millennium was recently adjudged the second most corrupt in the region? Why is there so much poverty and social injustice in our predominantly Christian society, despite our rich natural and human resources? Is it because most of us who claim to be nominally followers of Christ are, like me, only cultural Christians whose lives have not yet undergone fundamental changes in attitude and core moral values?
Up to this day, the timeless spiritual and moral teachings of that crucified, mocked and bloodied Messiah 2,005 years ago are still being ignored in the world, which prefers to worship the gods of money, power, science, celebrity glitz, glamour, sybarite pleasures and hedonism. We live in a world of cynicism, make believe, hypocrisy, misconception and confusion.
Today on Easter, let us pause from our vacations and remember what Jesus said: "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me… will never die." (John 11:25-26) To Jesus who already gave His life for our salvation, resurrection was a matter of personal relationship with God, a relationship beginning now and extending into eternity. When will cultural Christians like me change?