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the ’60S, A DeCADe of spiritual yearning, spawned an influential popular culture that sowed seeds for what is now in full bloom. The discussion of beliefs and values was morphing out of the church and into the popular culture, which was displacing religion as a generation’s preacher and teacher.
If the seeds of popular culture’s rise were planted in the ’60s, so were the seeds for the shrinking influence of Christians. If a crisis is a dangerous opportunity, Christians faced one, and unfortunately, for the most part, we failed to avoid the threats and exploit the opportunities. While popular
culture’s influence is rising, Christian influence is shrinking, marginalized through three equally counterproductive ways of relating to culture.
the world, it’s an act of disobedience to try to cordon ourselves off from the world we are supposed to be in.
A second mistaken strategy is to take a combative stance toward the world. In the ’60s this involved destroying Beatles albums in church parking lots, and in the ’90s it was Harry Potter bonfires. Because the culture war language has become a dominant metaphor in Christian circles these days, we’ve grown accustomed to warlike language aimed at our enemies. But because Jesus came into the world as a loving presence, as much as we feel embattled in this fallen culture, we can’t see ourselves primarily as combatants. Jesus said we are supposed to love even our enemies!
If the seeds of popular culture’s rise were planted in the ’60s, so were the seeds for the shrinking influence of Christians.
In the ’60s, evangelicals such as Harold John Ockenga and Carl Henry understood this and set out to engage the culture, seeking ways to show the gospel’s relevance in their world. Today evangelicals are viewed as an influential voting block and purchasing power, but researchers like George Barna are indicating that, in our attempt to become relevant, we have often become conformed to our culture’s beliefs and values.
Putting up roadblocks The first thing we tended to do was cocoon ourselves from culture. Picture us circling the wagons and trying to keep all the bad guys out there and the good guys in our protective circle, and you’ve got the picture. Sometimes we still try this today, and it doesn’t work. No matter how we try to isolate or insulate ourselves from the world, it’s impossible to do, and since we follow a Jesus who commanded us to go into
Following His direction If cocooning, combating, and conforming are three wrong ways Christians have tried to relate to culture, what is the right way? Fortunately, Jesus showed us by entering the world as a loving, transforming presence. We can’t be a presence if we’re cocooned from the world. We can’t be a loving presence if we are primarily combatants. And we can’t be a loving, transforming presence if we are conformed to the world.
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