i’m not sure how complete this thought is – but it’s been on my mind a lot lately after seeing many posts from christian friends on facebook and blogs…

so, is our calling as Christians to be at war against the prevailing culture around us? i’m serious too… is that what Jesus came for? is that what the scriptures teach us to do? is that what the early church did? is that what the Apostle Paul wrote letters to address the early church to do? was that the goal of his and the disciples journeys – to change the behavior of the culture, especially those who did not profess a faith in God?

again, this is not a flippant question – it’s an actual question.

is the “Good News” really all about:

+ making sure Gay Marriage doesn’t happen;

+ that we picket and call those who get an Abortion “sinners and whores”, but do absolutely nothing to walk with them before or after – just throw condemnation on them and feel better and holy about ourselves cause we aren’t sinners and murders like them;

+ we leave for dead and turn our backs on those who fall morally but who are looking to be restored and helped (but, one strike and you’re out i guess);

+ that we question the faith of those whose listen to Michael Jackson or see Transformers or Harry Potter movies;

+ calling those pastors and ministers you disagree with false-teachers (i just think throwing out the false teachers card is a pretty hefty one and not to be thrown around very lightly – i know there is concern over teachers ranging from Joel Osteen to Pat Robertson to Tim Lahaye to Brian McLaren… Lord knows I have my list that I question – Mike Murdock, Steve Munsey, Robert Tilton… but this is not a light thing to say about someone or their ministry and should be used very carefully and very detached from our own personal feelings or not-to-die-for Theological positions, that have brilliant Christian scholars who love Jesus, debating on both sides);

+ or smugly and almost arrogantly, celebrate when people die or fall down who we don’t consider Christians or to have any faith;

+ …etc?

is it truly all about coming against culture? is the goal only about making sure people “behave” correctly? is that all the gospel is – is that all Jesus came for?

i’m not sure what to do if that’s it – if that’s all the Good News is…

but before you (fellow Christians) write me off as an ok-er of sin who doesn’t believe in standing for anything – or doesn’t care about sin and wrong things… you have missed my whole point. my issue isn’t with if those things are write or wrong.

- i believe that all life is sacred
- as much as i love and walk with those of all races and orientations in life, i would choose to tell those seeking marriage of the same sex that i’m just not the right person to do their ceremony, but that doesn’t change my care or love for them as friends.
- those who fall down morally, that their is better wanted for them – and it’s not cool as Christians to live in just any way that feels good (but i’d also let them know i’ve been there and do not have it all fully together either though)
- if you don’t like Michael Jackson or his music, don’t listen to it. If Transformers 2 offends you or you think it’s too trashy, don’t see it. But don’t make it a measuring stick on how spiritual you are in relation to others who do listen or watch.
- i believe we should live differently, to what we preach and usually put on others who don’t follow what we do. i believe we should be changed and changing people (not perfect or sinless) – but doing what Christ asks us to do.

maybe i’m so way off… maybe that is what Christianity is all about – maybe our job is to be the moral police of the world – to decide who gets into a party we are just as graciously invited to as everyone else is.

i so understand and believe in standing up for truth and for the life Jesus sets out for us as followers of Him to follow. i believe in right and wrong. but i also believe in the “Good News” actually being good news, I believe that Jesus came for the sick, the hurting, the downtrodden – not just to make everyone behave better… and not just to declare a culture war on every generation.

show me consistent verses/passages where that is – not random obscure passages from a book here and there. show me Jesus’ ministry was about combating the culture, that He came down and picketed the sinners, prostitutes, the tax collectors… that He was only interested in their behavior changing… that the Woman at the Well went away singing the praises of Jesus because He only came to call her out on the guys she’d been with. or the woman caught in adultery – she deserved to be stoned, especially by the one sinless person; why not punish her at least or allow the crown of men to do so, why just tell her to sin no more and let her go… why hang out with prostitutes, tax collectors and rif-raft of the society and not have the Bible record about how He stood in front of them and listed of all the things they were doing wrong and tell them how to change their behavior – or better yet stand outside their houses and picket their gatherings with signs of  “you’re going to Hell without Me”!  Because let’s be honest, not only could He – but as God and a sinless human He had every right too… but i don’t see it. Jesus wasn’t soft on sin, but many sinners softened to Him. Why? and why don’t we have that power behind or words and deeds so often now… He said we’d have His power, we’d have His Spirit with us… We use persecution as a crutch for our approach way too often… There was a power to Jesus and His message that I worry we leave behind in order to sit back and judge – and not get involved in the mess and journey that is sharing and living His message…

but i could be so wrong… seriously. i could be too soft, and have completely missed the point of the “Good News” – i am humbly aware and concerned with not continually screwing up the beautiful message and life of Christ if I’m so way off on it. i so badly want to share it and live it… and that’s where all this comes from…

thoughts…

Everlast – What It’s Like

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Church and Prop 8: Losing by Winning (spot-on.com)
• Christian Libertarians (schansblog.blogspot.com)
• Is Michael Jackson going to heaven? (thestar.com)
• To be of “One Accord” (codybateman.org)
• Christianity Begins To Shake Off Christianism? (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)
• Dick Cheney Speaks Out in Support of Gay Marriage (takepart.com)
• How the Catholic Church Can Lose the Culture War (frpelletier.blogspot.com)
• A Kinder, Dumber Christianity? (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)
• James Dobson Admits: Conservatives Lost (queerty.com)
• The Faithful Go To Church, The Rest Go To Therapy (usapartisan.blogspot.com)
• Devotional – The Essence of Christianity (pastorpaulvbsblog.blogspot.com)
• What To Read If You Love Jesus (queerty.com)

3 Responses to “are we called to a culture war?”

1. Kirstin
   July 25th, 2009 @ 7:03 am

   Hey, good questions – important ones given the current state of the Christian community. It seems to me that an underlying theme in all of them is the question of our end or goal as Christians. What are we in this for? As one who is a member of the body of Christ, how am I to live my life? Ultimately, what is my purpose? I think these questions require positive answers. What I see from both sides of the culture war debate is a series of “don’t's” not a positive, purposive approach to living all of life as Christ would. The evangelical mindset over the last 50 years has been one of isolation and combat, and personally the newest forms that evangelicalism has taken doesn’t seem any less isolated or combative – the enemies have changed but the attitude hasn’t.

   So, what does it mean to live the sanctity of life? It means challenging systemic practices in our society that undermine life. It means challenging Christians who support the practice of abortion within our society and around the world, as well as those who support inhumane and unjust practices in war. It means thinking about the ways we live our lives and understanding what effects our choices have on others. It means taking positive steps to help those struggling with crisis pregnancies (and here I’ll challenge you – I know so many pro-life people who fundamentally oppose all abortion practices and those who support them, and who also house teen-moms, throw baby showers for women with no one else to do it, and who sacrifice time and money to support women who are left holding the results of two people’s poor choice. That doesn’t get shown on tv because it doesn’t fit the image that even you seem to buy.)

   The same can be said for a good number of your questions. What does it mean to support family and marriage? Probably not having a higher divorce rate than the general public, so how do we step up and support marriage in our communities? What does good art that challenges and encourages look like? Probably not like Thomas Kinkade, so how do we encourage and support those artists who want to engage the world as it is but also move it toward something greater?

   We need to offer something positive that engages the world as it is. Many people are out there doing that, but its easy to pass over them as they work positively and quietly. We are called to go out and engage the world while speaking the truth. We are called to participate in Christ’s redeeming work – a positive way of life rather than destructive or combative or isolated. Lets ask what that looks like and then engage.

2. Mike
   August 9th, 2009 @ 9:48 pm

   Wow theirs a lot going on here in this post.

   You seem to be harping on believers for using their words while being hypocrites. I wonder if believing hypocrites have been since the beginning of time. As a sinner my self, I’m not sure how else to go about it. The truth is the standard and I miss it often. My happiness isn’t the purpose of my life, and many times people need to be told that they are wrong. And no matter how lovingly you might tell someone they are wrong they quite easily and often take it as hatred against them.

   Paul didn’t almost get stoned to death because he was holding a peace rally and he wasn’t martyred because he was so unloving. The message he preached was and still is offensive to many apart from God. The message was offensive even before Jesus walked the earth (Jeremiah 6: 10). Let us not ever forget that there is a real enemy out there more powerful than we can understand constantly seeking our destruction. He stirs up hatred on both sides, tempts us to stumble, and blatantly attacks us. It is more than just me and my sin, there is a battle going on for souls.

3. Kelly
   August 10th, 2009 @ 3:40 pm

   Hey Chris!!! Good post and a lot to think about. I’m wondering if the first two commentors missed your point on here, or maybe I did. I never get the impression that you are against telling people what the Bible says or standing up against something or have bought into the media impression of Christians, it seems more like you are questioning how we do it and our posture and pose towards people. It’s true that Paul didn’t get stoned by holding peace rallies, but don’t forget who was behind most of the stonings, it was the Religious Pharisees, not the broken down sinners.

   Mike is also right about the message being offensive before Jesus came, but the message’s most offensive part is that you can’t do it on your own, that you are not good enough to get into heaven on your own. So Jesus took the place. He offers forgiveness, grace, mercy and love. I think way to often people use the excuse of, telling the truth even if no one likes it, to not really get involved and messy with people. There had to be a reason the sinners responded to Jesus that people don’t respond to us with. Of course some walked away and the Rich Young Ruler wouldn’t give up his wealth, but so many others who were doing the very things the Bible calls sin were still so captivated and changed by Jesus in ways they are not now with our just tell it like it is attitude. I don’t think love is being soft on truth or sin, quite the opposite. But that’s a normal response to this stuff.

   I’ve been reading your stuff since Cracked Round Peg and I see a different style of writing. I sense frustration, but not with the anger there used to be. I actually sense a desire to figure it out. I think as readers we need to be careful in not coming down too hard on you or to completely attack your thoughts and read into something that’s not there anymore because I think you actually searching for good answers and not harping. You did harp on Christians before, you know you did! I sense you expressing a need to figure out if that’s all there is, if words are the only thing we have to use. Or is there something more to just telling it the way it is and saying oh well if they don’t like it. How do we enter lives while still holding onto Christ’s words? We DO need to live differently, but we again come back to what does truth in love mean.

Leave a Reply

Name

Email Address

Website

Comments

CAPTCHA Code