HAROLD KELLER

Religion in heart and not in head In any survey taken, more than 95 percent of the people in America believe in God. In fact, people are willing to build places of worship to prove that they have faith. I understand there are approximately 500,000 churches in America. It makes one wonder, with so much religion in this free country, why there is so much unrest and disorder in this supposedly God-fearing nation? I think I found the answer this week on the cover of Newsweek magazine. It showed a picture of a woman, with her eyes lifted up to the words, “God and the Brain.” At the bottom of the cover were these words: How We’re Wired for Spirituality. God in the brain is what’s wrong with America. I’ve heard it said that many people could miss heaven by 18 inches. (That’s the distance from the head to the heart.) The Newsweek article talked about religion and the brain. I believe that religion and the brainmake a person try to analyze and explain God. If we could explain God, He wouldn’t be God, and we would not need faith. Religion is man-made and much of its activity is based on feelings. I’ll never forget an acquaintance of mine who started attending our early-morning Bible study meetings. After a few weeks, someone asked him what went on at these meetings. He said, “It’s a feel-good meeting.” (To him, that’s all it was, even though he attended religiously.) Christianity, on the other hand, takes faith. Christianity is not a religion; it’s a relationship with a loving God. It’s not a head thing; it’s a heart change. It’s not about understanding, or analyzing; it’s all about faith, not feelings. The Newsweek article was right on target for the majority of Americans. They really are wired for spirituality. They connect God with the brain, their personal understanding. The minority of Americans who love and serve God have made a decision to love Him in their hearts, regardless of what their heads think. HAROLD KELLER writes this column as part of his affiliation with the Get High on Life religious motivational group. Call him at (985) 652-8477.