Who is Responsible for the Cultural Sprint Away from God?
An unexpected moment of consideration
On Sunday, June 11, 2023 we saw the flag representing the transgender movement hung between two United States flags at the White House.
What once looked like cultural drift away from God is now a full-on sprint.
New Categories of Immorality
It’s a sprint marked by new categories of immorality. Not too long ago, for example, we were concerned about underaged, premarital heterosexual sex. Now we are grooming children to deny their biological gender, and demanding parents, businesses, and the state to accommodate their new identity.
Simple categories like male and female, and parent and child have been redefined.
Not surprisingly, more of our neighbors than ever are experiencing mental health challenges. Public school districts cannot supply enough counselors to meet the demand for students needing help. The Surgeon General declared loneliness an epidemic. Addiction and overdoses are ravaging even affluent communities.
It’s tempting to diagnose the problem by pointing fingers at “woke ideology,” the breakdown of the family, or unprincipled political operatives. Finding a legitimate enemy to fight in this culture war isn’t hard. And every responsible Christian should find his or her voice, sphere of influence, and calling to take the Light of the Gospel into the darkness.
There are many valid approaches to Christian public engagement that I’ll continue to highlight along the way, but for now, I want to ask a different question.
Simple Statement. Unexpected Response.
In a recent conversation with a local pastor, I made the statement, “Many of the problems we see happening in the public square are our responsibility.” I didn’t think it was a profound or necessarily novel statement. I’ve made similar statements many times before. It’s rooted in the premise that Christians have had a 200-year run of the store in the United States, which we may not have stewarded as well as we could have.
If we ever were a Christian nation, whatever you think that means, we have in many ways missed our moment.
So, back to the conversation. I simply said, “Many of the problems we see in the public square are our responsibility.” And the pastor responded without hesitation, “No they’re not.” It caught me off guard. I appreciated his candor, but I had never considered the alternative.
The Church’s Opportunity
If Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all kinds of people, who then make disciples of all kinds of people, and if the Holy Spirit birthed and empowered the church to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and if God in his providence has granted us unprecedented religious freedom for the last 200 years, and if we’ve been blessed with intellectual, financial, and technological resources that are the envy of the world, who else could be responsible for the spiritual lostness along with the avalanche of social brokenness that lostness produces?
The local church is still the hope for the world, but only the church that takes responsibility for the condition of the city will be effective in reaching the city. The church in the west is not a victim. We’ve been given incredible opportunities, and we still have open doors for Gospel work and witness.
The local church is still the hope for the world, but only the church that takes responsibility for the condition of the city will be effective in reaching the city.
How the Church Takes Responsibility
So the question is not, “Are we responsible?” Instead, the question is, “Will we act responsibly?” Will we steward the trust the Lord has granted to us?
If you’re wondering how to do that, here are three starting points:
1. Root deeply in biblical orthodoxy.
I begin here because there may be an assumption that effective community engagement requires compromising or somehow muting the Scripture. Not so. Gospel hope is founded upon the Holy Scripture. And in returning to the Bible, we peel away any unnecessary vestiges of religious traditionalism that may act as a stumbling block to the transforming work the Holy Spirit.
Gospel hope is founded upon the Holy Scripture.
2. Reclaim early church priorities.
The early church had a lot of problems, so no romanticizing here. But the Acts 2 priorities were powerful. Specifically, the church met on the Lord’s day, and then lived like missionaries every other day. Church success wasn’t measured in attenders to a program, but in multipliers of disciples, groups, and churches.
Church success wasn’t measured in attenders to a program, but in multipliers of disciples, groups, and churches.
3. Renew view of our neighbors.
Paul’s letters to the churches, as well as Jesus’ letters in Revelation most often focused on the church’s responsibility to honor the Lord by obeying his command, to love Him and love our neighbors. We don’t find a lot of fussing at neighbors in the New Testament.
We don’t find a lot of fussing at neighbors in the New Testament.
Any exposure of their sin was to remind us of the essential nature and work of the Gospel to redeem and restore, and to motivate us to show it and share it. We’re never to fold into sinfulness, but we also never to stand aloof from sinful people.
The Finish
Who’s responsible for the culture sprint away from God? Certainly, every individual will give an account for the decisions he or she has made. But as long as the “condition of the city” is someone else’s fault, the church will fall short of obedience to the Lord and our neighbors will continue to buckle under the weight of brokenness.
PICTURE OF THE WEEK
We celebrated my Dad’s 80th birthday last week. A room full of friends and family joined in. It’s not how many years, but how well you live those years. None does it better than my Dad.
ICYBREEZE IS PRETTY COOL!
Last summer, we were looking for a way to help local families who needed air conditioning during the hottest heat of summer. In that search, we found Icybreeze. I called the company, and they were very clear that this is not a good solution for replacing home air conditioning, so we kept searching. But in that process, I became impressed with the company and the product. It’s an ice chest that also functions as a self-contained cooling unit. You can read all the details at the link below.
If you spend time at the ballpark, concerts, camping, or at the beach, you’re going to want to grab one of these coolers. Visit Icybreeze HERE to check them out. This is an affiliate link. So, if you use it, I’ll receive a 10% commission.
It’s a pretty cool product with a great story backed by a solid warranty. It would make a great Father’s Day gift, as well.
EVERYONE’S WILSON
I’m the Executive Director of Everyone’s Wilson—a community transformation initiative. Our mission is to unite the Church to engage the community, so everyone thrives. Very simply, we’re passionate about helping Jesus-loving people live like missionaries in their local community through prayer, equipping, collaboration, and service.
To keep up with my work at Everyone’s Wilson, you can Follow Us on the Socials or Subscribe to the Everyone’s Wilson Newsletter Here.
If you, your church, or your community leaders are interested in creating or joining community transformation collective in your community, I’d love to connect with you.
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