The Cross & Culture, Pt. 3 July 29, 2013
As you readthe paper, take in the news, watch movies, listen to the songs, observe thefashions—in short, as you take in samples of our culture—are you more apt toaffirm what you find or to criticize it? Do you tend to be more accepting ofcultural values, or do you more often critique them?
For thelast few weeks, I’ve been musing in this column on how Paul’s example ofevangelism in Athensdoes both (Acts 17:22-31). He strikes a delicate balance between affirmationand confrontation; and in the process, he furnishes us with a wonderful modelfor our own engagement with our culture. If we never affirm, we’ll come acrossas judgmental and self-righteous, and our church will eventually die for lackof connection to the culture where the lost people are. But if we neverconfront, we’ll compromise the gospel and eventually lose it entirely. If we’remore afraid of one danger than the other, we will tend to drift into the otherwithout even noticing. Our calling is to find the middle path where we avoidboth. How?
First, wemust understand the biblical story correctly. If we ourselves think ofChristianity primarily as our moral standards or our church involvement, that’show we’re going to represent it to others. But who finds that attractive?Besides, that’s not even the story God is writing! He’s not merely making usmoral people. Furthermore, we must understand that the gospel isn’t just God’sgrace vs. our works; it’s God’s rescue plan for the whole creation!
Second, wemust understand our culture thoroughly. We have to know what questions thepeople around us are asking, or else we’ll become irrelevant by offeringsomething no one is looking for. Paul understood the Athenians’ view of realityand their interest in spirituality, he was familiar with the poetry and songsof their popular culture, and he affirmed what pieces of this connected withthe gospel story. So listen to the songs, read the books, and watch the movies.These are all ways our culture “tells its story,” and they are greatopportunities for us to find points of contact with the story of the gospel.But as you listen, read, or watch, make sure you’re also thinking and praying,comparing and contrasting. Our goal is to “relate and retain”: relate to theculture while we retain biblical truth.