What if religious liberals became radically observant in their faith practices? Unitarian minister Ana Levy-Lyons writes at Huffington Post:
What if we could restore the radical edge and dynamic energy of religious liberalism? What would the world look like if, instead of advertising religion lite, religious liberals became the most observant people around? What if those of us who consider ourselves theologically liberal began joining liberal religious communities in droves? What if we began tithing to those institutions? What if we observed a Sabbath together and radically disengaged from social and economic structures every week? What if we engaged in serious study of our spiritual texts and heritage and applied their lessons to the issues of today? What if we began lobbying on religious grounds for environmental stewardship?
The sky is the limit in reimagining how our faiths call us to practice in the modern world. Maybe those of us who have high-paying jobs will refuse to accept a salary that’s more than seven times what the lowest-paid worker makes in our organizations — and explain, “It’s because I’m really religious.” Maybe we will only eat food that’s sustainably grown, humanely raised, and for which the farm workers were paid a living wage, even if that rules out most of the food we currently eat — and explain to our outraged children, “It’s because in this family, we’re really religious.” Maybe straight couples refuse to get married until there is marriage equality for everyone — and explain to their disappointed parents, “It’s because we are really religious.” Maybe we stop to pray two, three, five times a day to keep ourselves oriented toward God and our highest ideals.
A thought-provoking essay. Read it all here and then weigh in. What would radically liberal Christianity look like to you?