Last week was Diwali, one of the most popular of the Hindu festivals. This is the festival of lights. There are some stories associated with Diwali ( also sometimes called Deepavali ). These stories have to do with good princes conquering evil kings, and gods who bring light to a dark world.
Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen-year-long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers. – From Wikipedia
Since this holiday comes at the end of October or the beginning of November it sets itself up for a nice comparison with the reformation. I mean “light to a dark land” it doesn’t take much imagination to transfer that theme to the Reformation.
This is one of those areas where many might take a look and say, “See these various religions aren’t that different.” In fact I just got down a few hours ago having that conversation with one of my Muslim friends. So what is the difference? Is it just the names? Is it just that we call this savior Christ and they have some other name for the hero that brings light? Of course not.
The real difference is the fundamental assumptions behind the sources of light and darkness. In a very real sense you might call Hinduism the ultimate in the optimism and Christianity the ultimate in pessimism. For Hindus the darkness is an oppression from without. The man in black, the evil guy, the demon, brings the darkness and this darkness oppresses the people. Once these evil outward forces are taken care of the people are free to follow what they supposedly would naturally follow namely the light. In Hinduism this light bringer is inspirational not transformational. Rama shows us the way and we joyously follow. Hinduism takes the optimistic view that humans have this light within them and can and will follow when they see this light.
From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. – From Wikipedia
The Bible however take the ultimately opposite view, the ultimately pessimistic view. This darkness does not come from without, it comes from within. We do not need to be inspired, and we don’t need to be empowered. That is not enough. We need to be transformed, personally transformed. And not transformed in the sociological1 manner of so many emergent theologians. This is a complete and total transformation, a rebirth. We don’t need to be saved from an oppressor we need to be saved from ourselves. We often talk about how the law is similar throughout the religions of the world and the difference is the gospel. But even there many contend that salvation stories are also similar and common throughout the religions of the world. The difference is the extent of both the Law and the Gospel. This extent is more than a difference in size, because it forces a completely opposing view of ourselves. In Christianity Christ didn’t destroy the evil, He saved it.
- In emergent theology it is the christian life that is transformational. In other words it is the Christian that is doing the transforming not the Christ. And it is the Christian effect on society which becomes the marks of the kingdom, rather than Christ’s gifts to you. For this reason emergent theology puts Christianity exactly on par with Hinduism and all other religions ↩