How My Christian World View Has Changed

Over the last several weeks my Christian worldview has been changed in three significant ways:


1) I now think the culture is not neutral, but is almost conscious in its efforts to undermine a purely Christian perspective; 2) I think the church in the west has become the lackey (maybe a less sinister term would be more balanced), the instrument, of the modern world and is really powerless to solve the problems of culture; and 3) Despite my incredulity at the possibility of solving the problems of the world I am more devoted in the effort than ever, but recognize that resolution of the world’s problems are not going to be applied globally, but locally and in small, seemingly insignificant ways.

The culture is not simply the style of the clothes and the genre of our music it is the way in which we are being conditioned to think. Technology and media are reconditioning human behavior. Marshall McLuhan had foresight when he claimed that the medium (i.e. Internet, Television, etc.) was the message. In a perverse way technology is becoming an extension of man. The social networks, like Facebook, Twitter, and My Space, will not achieve more human connectivity and interaction, but fewer, truly deep, abiding relationships. We are becoming voyeurs via the technology we now possess, not friends and lovers. The Christian perspective is one that is conditioned by the incarnation; not friend requests or instant messaging. The culture continues to preach a demythologizing message. Again, technology is the leading purveyor of this message, because the advances in technology itself are a message of rationality. Faith did not build the Internet - the arguement may begin. This constant barrage of unspoken messages undermines the foundation of a Christian perspective, that is, that God is known through intimate relatedness; he’s not an avatar on Second Life. He can be known and in knowing him all extensions to man are stripped away.


I now believe that the church is so encumbered by the weeds of modernity that it cannot produce the full fruit that the husbandman had intended. Let me give one, very obvious example, of how the church has embroiled itself in culture. During the 2000 elections I visited Pigeon Forge on a mini vacation from Nashville. I went into a bible bookstore only to be met by a life-size cutout of George W. Bush. It unsettled me that the evangelical right had sold itself to the political right in the same way that the Protestant left had given itself to the socialist minded left. I could not put it in words at the time, but now I know that Christianity as a movement is not to become intimate with these secular endeavors. Individuals who want to become civil servants are welcome, but they are not to speak for God in those roles. Nor should they attempt to create their particular brand of Christian utopianism within such roles. All these efforts do is marginalize God. He becomes a tool for modern pursuits. I threw myself into the Republican Revolution, the war on terror, and every other conservative evangelical position. I reject them all now that I realize that Protestantism is simply a messenger for cultures’ wants and whims.



The Church must stand opposite the culture where we can see more clearly to remove the mote from its eye. Standing opposite to the culture also places us nearer to God where he can share his will more distinctly with us. The church is now bearing the indictment from liberal members of society that we have contributed to the death of over one million Iraqi’s. What are we doing supporting the death of another people? If our government wants to execute a war for its interests then fine! The church, however, needs to position itself better. In this case our love for George W. Bush did not position us properly to evaluate the governments’ right to override the rights of hundreds of thousands to their lives. This is one of many examples of how the church has subjugated itself to the culture and thereby weakened God.


Finally, my perspective of God has increased to the point that I see him as higher and as more powerful than ever. Despite the futility of modern man’s efforts to resolve the world’s trouble I see a God who is able to redeem the state of the world. I want to position myself as a loving adversary to this world and the prevailing culture. I believe that God wants to redeem the deplorable, unjust conditions of man. He will use every individual and church community that opens themselves to the task. It is his will and his plan to redeem man, so, if we execute it with confidence he will come in with his power. The power of our words will not be our own, based on the criteria for power posited by the culture, but the supernatural effect of God’s word in the ears and hearts of man.