There is only one starting place when you speak about Christianity and culture and that would be the Truth of God's Word. This is at its very base. The whole truth of Christianity will never jive with culture, and it never should. It will have lost its basis if it ever seems to. There is something very counter-cultural built into any teaching that has to do with things such as servanthood and loving your neighbor as yourself. These things are at the heart of Christ's teaching, and rarely found in the world.
In Amos 5:10 we are told that "They abhor him who speaks the truth". Christ himself mentions in Luke 21:17 that "You will be hated by all for My name's sake". The Gospel is harsh, because it pierces the heart and may require a willingness to sell all we have and give to the poor. It may require us to step far outside of a comfort zone to tell someone you "hate" about the love of Christ. Truth is not selfish, it is selfless. In the midst of a selfish world, there is little desire for giving up everything for the sake of the glory of God.
This is one of the hardest things I have had to cope with in my faith. I tend to want people to like me. I think most of us have difficulties with this. There is no way out of it, and honestly, if we are not hated on occasion, it may be reason to examine ourselves. C.S. Lewis once said "If you're seeking happiness, don't choose Christianity, choose port wine." While humorous, it is evident that it is not an easy road to follow Christ, which is why it is described as narrow (which you might be called at some point).
As the above mentioned Derek Webb mentions "Truth is never sexy, and its not an easy sell. You can dress her like the culture, but She'll shock 'em just as well. She don't need an apology for being who She is, and She don't need your help making enemies." The Truth of the Gospel goes far against culture, and while this Truth is counter-cultural, that does not necessarily mean that we cannot relate to people through culture, as long as it does not negate our faith in any way. All of this is an introduction (one that will hold up the entire rest of this discussion) on how we can seek to relate to people in a way they can understand, while still portraying Truth. This is something even Christ did by speaking in parables to the people so they could understand. Hopefully we can discover its way as well, so that more may come to know the love of Christ.
2 comments:
Joel,
Great post! I think that you are correct in the way you see the relationship between the gospel and the culture. Yes, the gospel will offend. Yes, servant leadership, loving your neighbor as yourself, and forgiving others are hard pills for human nature to swallow. If we are not offending, then perhaps something is askew. I only want to add one comment to what you said in your introduction to this topic: Christians should be careful not to add to the offense of the gospel. The gospel is hard enough to swallow as it is. This is not say that God is not sovereign and will not reach people in other ways. It is our privilege as Christians that He actively involves us in reaching the nations. I just hope that I am not guilty of getting in the way of the gospel.
I completely agree my friend. Adding to the gospel to make it more controversial is very dangerous. To quote more of that Derek Webb song immediately past what i quoted: "She don't need an apology for being who she is, and she don't need your help making enemies." We should never try to make the gospel any more controversial. We should only present it, as it is, with love and hope for the best. The rest of the discussion on the topic will deal with how we can present that truth of the gospel in a manner that is understandable and loving, rather than harsh and hateful. Thanks for your comments John T!
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