related to the vision we have of becoming an Alternate Atlanta. It's from Shane Claiborne (don't think he's related to Liz--could be) and he's answering the question How do we Influence Culture without Being Consumed by It?Part of what I think we have to do is not just figure out how we interact with the culture, but create a new culture where we bring one another to life and call each other to the best of who God wants us to be. So it's not "How much secularism can I get away with?" but "How can I be set apart in a way that celebrates the distinctiveness of who we are as people in this world who are resident aliens?"
The Amish [are] a beautiful example. I'm sure Amish kids say things like, "Why don't we get an XBox?" And their parents reply, "Well, that might be OK for other kids, but you're a little different. We build farms; we build barns." I love that. One of the biggest questions for the Church today is not "Are we culturally relevant?" but "Are we culturally perculiar?" Not just "Can we be relevant to culture?" but "Can we be nonconformist to culture; can we be people who do things differently?"
So can we? are we? What do you think??
2 comments:
"Can we? Are we?"
Good questions. Another one is: "Do we want to be?"
How different do I want to be, really? I don't have an easy answer for myself. Sometimes I think I want to be very different; other times my actions show that I very much want to be just like the world. Maybe it would be easier if we all decided to be different together at the same time. Oh wait, does that mean we'd be the same?!?! But seriously, it's that type of "different", alternate community we've been talking about. Hmmm, am I talking in circles?
"How do we influence culture without being consumed by it?"
My answer:
We influence culture BY NOT BEING CONSUMED BY IT. We impact culture by being impacted by the grace of God, savoring the beauty of His redemptive work in Christ, and seeking to obey His revealed will. Our primary focus as Christians ought to be the person of Christ. The best way to influence culture is to treasure the truth of the Gospel and to be unashamed in our proclamation of the Gospel. Consistent and precise proclamation of truth, coupled with striving to (by God's grace) live in such a way that the life-changing effect of truth is clearly evidenced, is the surest way to influence culture.
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