Hot Air Religion

Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game

is self-deceived.  This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air.

Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father,

is this:  Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight,

and guard against corruption from the godless world.

James 1:26-27 [The Message]

My father had a familiar saying that he loved to apply to anyone in any situation who  "talked the talk but didn't walk the walk". Such people were All "Talk" and No "Do."  There seemed to be no end of people to whom that label could be affixed. 

I have known church members, acquaintances and family members who excelled in talking a good game.  When discussions turned to religion, they were all over that.  One gentleman of my acquaintance just loved to interrupt the flow of Sunday School class in order to ask an "important" question that had nothing to do with the topic at hand.  A family member would just love to take group discussion and twist it around so that he felt superior in his knowledge and everyone else ended up confused and feeling stupid.  Such conversations are worse than useless:  in a way, they make a mockery of the Gospel which should be plain, simple, easy to understand, and full of love and grace.

One of the saddest sentiments I have ever heard at the death of a loved one was, "We knew he knew a lot about the Bible.  We just wish he would have lived it."  The Gospel is not about showing everyone how smart you are (or how clever, how sinless, etc.), but how compassionate, loving and Christ-like we can be.