“I can’t go to church,” he said to me.
“Why not,” I ask.
“Because I wouldn’t be accepted.”
“What do you mean?”
“If people found out that I’m……..”
Have you ever had this conversation? If so, then feel free to fill in the blank. If it helps, cast the last sentence thusly, “If people found out that I’ve….”
I think many people are interested in Jesus but are turned off by Christians. There is significant data from Barna and others suggesting that Christians are seen as judgmental and hostile to those things that aren’t Christian. For instance, there may be a person in our sphere of influence that is interested in our faith but is afraid to approach such a conversation because they know their lifestyle or their view on the sanctity of life is different than mine, seeing as I’m a Christian and all. So they shy away from all things Christ so as not to either spark my ire or endure another berating of how wrong I think they are.
While the stigma against Christians is often over-reported, there is still ample data we should take heed to. Is our hostility toward those who hold a different worldview winning many lives to Christ? Are we winning the eternal battle for people’s souls by being belligerent?
Throughout the history of the church, popular culture has waged war against Christianity; so recent onslaughts by various special-interest groups ought not to surprise us too much. Yes, there are certain groups pressuring Apple to remove certain applications from their iStore, and yes there are court battles to remove crosses from public places, and yes, the sanctity of life is being fought out in many state houses nationwide. These are stark reminders that we live in a fallen world, a world that increasingly calls what is bad, good; and what is good, bad. But what’s important for Christians is how we respond to this.
I’m not saying we don’t state our points and properly fight for what is right, but perhaps it isn’t the fight that is as important as how we fight. And perhaps “fight” is the wrong word; perhaps the better word is “engage.” How do we lovingly, yet firmly, engage a culture that we know is continuing to slip into moral oblivion?
Jesus clearly taught that we should first love God, and then we should love our neighbor as ourselves. In light of this, I suggest that being overly concerned about engaging our culture has overshadowed our need to love God with all our heart. If we genuinely seek God with all our heart, then we will be more receptive to what the Holy Spirit is directing us to do and to say. As we love our neighbor as ourselves, then more people will turn to the Lord regardless if crosses stay up on hills or get torn down.
I've been studying cultural engagement a lot as well and generally I think when Christians engage with culture outside of the church they need to leave their personal beliefs out, unless it's a personal conversation that lends itself that way. Our culture is completely turned off to the sales pitch Christianity and they want to see that we care in ways beyond mere words.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think your starting point is the right one. It all begins with our connection with God first.