Can We Detox Religion?

 You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  
 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, 
and it gives light to all in the house.  
 In the same way, let your light shine before others, 
so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5

Every year Oxford Dictionaries creates a shortlist of new-ish words from which they choose their "word of the year." In 2017 it was "youthquake" which was defined as "a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people." I like that one. We need more seismic shifts which shake up the stranglehold of aging white males (gulp, me) on our society. 

This year the shortlist included some great words, including "cakeism" which is the belief that it is possible to enjoy or take advantage of both of two desirable but mutually exclusive alternatives at once. No doubt this is related to Brexit and the bizarre belief of leavers that they can "have their cake and eat it too" with the European Union. That one hasn't turned out well, has it?
 




Sadly, the winner for 2018 is "toxic" a word which, as with so many others, ends up being overused and over-applied. It is defined as something poisonous, venomous, morally destructive and corrupting, and no, it does not refer solely to the current resident of the White House. The Time article on this year's word offers:

There is the ongoing reckoning with sexual harassment and patriarchy (toxic masculinity, toxic relationship). There are concerns about what human beings are doing to the environment and their own health (toxic gas, toxic waste). There are poison-tongued extremists filling the air with divisive rhetoric about issues ranging from Brexit to immigration to, you know, the ongoing reckoning with sexual harassment and patriarchy (toxic environment, toxic culture). Online trolls are toxic. Chemicals are toxic. Even the algae is toxic. 

What isn't included in this description of noxious entities is toxic religion, which abounded globally  during this year. We heard a lot about sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic church, but other religious groups were part of this dark scandal. There has been religious violence in India and other countries. The fore-mentioned president has the support of right-wing Christians who don't seem to give a damn whether nothing in his personal behaviour or governance reflects the teachings of Christ. 

It seems to me that the deep desire of every follower of Jesus should be to strive to "detoxify" the environments in which we live. According to Oxford  to"detoxifying" includes

"Remove toxic substances from...Become free of harmful substances...Abstain or help to abstain..." 

I suppose this refers to what we say and don't say, do and don't do in a time when rhetoric is increasingly harsher and hatred is manifested in violence. 

Isn't Jesus inviting each of us to detox "my small corner" when he bids us shine?

What do you think? Can we make a difference in a world where toxic is the word of the year?