Suppose that I had not lost the ring. And imagine that I became a cruel and unfaithful husband, refusing to care for the needs of my wife. Such an answer would be ridiculous. And it is no less ridiculous when we depend upon externals for our relationship with God. The symbol may represent love, but it can never replace love.
Symbols are important.
Some of them, like baptism and the Lord s supper, represent salvation. They go so far as to articulate salvation. But they do not impart salvation. Putting your trust in a symbol is like trying to fly a plane based only upon the fact that you have a pilot s insignia or a logbook or a pilot s hat. And you re in for a tough landing.