Burn-Out & God
I guess that God knows all about burn-out, having seen so many of us succumb to that particular psycho-spiritual pitfall. The trouble is, most of us recovering religious junkies found God at a young age when we hadn’t yet discovered who we really are, and perhaps more importantly, what God is really looking for in our mutual friendship. Is it any wonder that so many of us ditch the religion and God of our youth to be ‘normal’, and sleep in on Sunday mornings.
I reckon the whole concept of discipleship is partly to blame. To be a follower of the Nazarene is to self deny and take up our cross ad nauseam. Boy, what a life to sign up to. Thousands of church services over our three score years and ten, months spent in intercessory, battling prayer and of course, last but not least the endless voluntary work, known as ministry expected from all good disciples. It all sounds so holy and sacrificial, and if we know anything the Divine is really into sacrifice, especially that of His beloved Son. Some New Testament scholars believe Christianity to be an updated version of Greek Stoicism, and I can see why. Virtue as the highest form of happiness sounds all too familiar to my religious junkie mindset of old. Yes, God is a quality controller who expects from us the high standards of the Nazarene, especially on Sundays.
So where is the flaw in all of this. What exactly is discipleship and is its end result always burn-out. Well, may I humbly suggest that we have lost the Middle Eastern meaning of discipleship. All Jewish Rabbis, at least those of note and a good reputation had their disciples; generally a band of men, who modelled themselves on their master’s lifestyle and teaching. Of course like all discipleship models it had its drawbacks, with rivalry and power struggles always a possibility. Yet, at its essence it was all about following. Yeshua, bar Josef was no different. He asked his motley crew of men and women, to follow him, but was it a journey into dour sacrificialsm? I believe not.
The Nazarene claimed that his yoke was easy and his burden, light. These rabbinical buzz words had a special meaning. Yoke and Burden referred to the general life teaching of a spiritual master. In other words, Yeshua was saying that what he asked of his followers was quite simple and easy to fulfil, in comparison to many of the other yokes and burdens kicking around the Judaism of his day. Peter, James and John and gang were simply to love God and their neighbours in the same way the Galilean did. Just an imitation of sorts, yet not one to be squeezed out of stoical human effort, but one to be channeled from Divine Source, a reflex action of the Love that touches all. The taking up of the cross wasn’t a call to suffering but a call to liberation from the dictates of ego. Such a radical following of the Nazarene, would release the tortured will into the Divine destiny. A letting go to trump all lettings go.
‘I have come to bring life and life more abundantly’ now begins to make sense. A life of realignment and connection with Source, the Love that flows to all, if only we will ditch our old sacrificial thinking. To follow the Nazarene is not to crucify Self, but detach from ego and its incessant, fear fuelled demands. Self is made to flourish and create in the divine economy, not hang on a religious cross and pride itself on its suffering.
So where does that leave all of us religious burn-outs. Well, I reckon that somewhere along the line we have been presented with a form of Christianity whose yoke is far from easy and its burden, heavier than lead. We attempted to slave our way to holiness in the guise of sacrificial love and it back-fired. Our bodies, psyches and spirits had enough and declared so in quite dramatic fashion. ‘Stop’ they cried and so we did, often unwillingly, for the death loving virus within religion is a hard one to shift. Lying in a faithless heap we wondered if we’d ever again feel the Presence that started it all. And of course, in time the call comes, not to stoicism and religious hoop jumping, but to stillness and touch, the compassionate embrace of the Divine Samaritan. The Master has returned.
Writer Dylan Morrison 
Lovely last paragraph…a sigh of relief for you.
Dylan, the day I realized what I was signing up for by studying to become a catholic priest, was the day my “vocation” began to wither. So many people go to their parish priest and want him to tell them how to live their lives, what to do when a daughter gets pregnant before marriage, a son tells them he is gay, etc. At that moment I realized that I had enough problems trying to live my own life and trying to figure out what I needed to do for myself, without getting into telling someone else what to do. Burnout, in my opinion, is a consequence of living by the weak power of “Conditional” Love. The God of my understanding today; my Higher Power (who happens to be Jesus) is the very essence and substance of Unconditional Love.
He pours Himself [who He is] out on all people and the entirety of Creation each and every day. It is my God given power; my free will, to accept or reject that Grace. I discovered along my journey, that Grace prompts me to take care of myself and share my strength, hope and experience with others. In other words, Jesus wants me to give what I have received from him. After that, it is not my job to tell others what they should do with that or how their lives are supposed to look. Once someone has found (F)aith; a living and dynamic relationship with the God of their understanding, that is between them and God.
I love how you write Dylan, and what you say as well. Your perspective on the Nazarene is unique and very refreshing. Alaniya
I’m wondering if Christians should just ditch the Sunday mornings, at least as they are now. They are mostly shows, not meaningful gathering of believers. We should be getting in groups of the size where we can really interact with each other, and seek the Lord together rather than seeking some preacher. A lot of energy is used in connection with church services, and I wonder if we could revitalize Christianity by ditching them and using the energy to be bands of believers instead of audiences and performers.