It is pleasantly warm, no wind. What is the air doing? “I don’t know. I don’t feel a thing.” How about Texas in mid-summer? “It burns my skin. It’s so heavy, I almost can’t breathe.” Consider a hurricane: “It’s blowing me back; I can hardly stand.”
I bet it’s the same with sea creatures. Let’s ask a dolphin, a smart one of course with the gift of words. “What is the water doing?” On a calm day: “Nothing!” Within a whirlpool while struggling to survive, out comes a sarcastic shout-out: “What do you think?”
So it is with culture. If we are completely acclimated, all is well. What came before is now and will continue as far as we can see. Culture is invisible when people’s concepts of reality match their assumptions. Nobody pays attention or even thinks to present a challenge.
But suddenly, unwelcome intrusions change everything and a time of crisis ensues. The rapids of the cultural river pull us violently this way and that. Turmoil cut us up and new rocks of division appear downstream threatening to rip us apart. The old guard thrash violently upstream longing for times past when things were still. Activists are not content; they want the waters to move even faster.
The Bible gives us a glimpse of culture long ago. Slavery, the patriarchy, harsh punishments, and brutality in war were common and expected. Nobody conceived of any other reality. This is why Old Testament law had much in common with those of the surrounding peoples. God did not intend to radically alter the flow of their cultural river. He was not going to override the free will of those ancient peoples. He was patient, willing to wait thousands of years for people to discover better ways. His immediate intention was to reveal himself as such as they could understand and accept.
God had a threefold purpose. First, he demonstrated that he is the all-powerful living and sole creator of the Universe. Other gods are fake. Second, unlike those other gods, he has no needs that people were to fulfill. After all, he owns all the cattle on a thousand hills. He doesn’t require a temple to live in because Heaven is his domain and the Earth is his footstool. Finally, he announced his intention to be present with his people, his special possession. He wasn’t waiting for people to build a Babel tower to reach his domain. He was willingly coming down to our realm to introduce himself, albeit to an insignificant people. His only requirement for Israel was that they live as a light to the nations and not behave in ways to bring disrepute to their Lord and king.
After the crucifixion and resurrection, God established a new and better covenantal relationship. When Christians received the Holy Spirit, for the first time God’s presence would dwell within people. Each one individually was transformed as God’s purposes were written on their hearts. These were the ones designated to spread good news of God’s kingdom. They were to be his representatives inviting peoples of all backgrounds and ethnicities to become citizens.
This diverse group formed communities and led movements promoting continual and positive social change. The dark and brutal flow of the Roman cultural river was disrupted. Christians established hospitals. Abandoned babies were rescued and cared for. Women took active, prominent roles in the faith hierarchy. Literacy rates rapidly increased from the typical 10-15 percent. Believers lived unblemished lives. Even those outside the faith took notice. Eventually, the world was transformed.
More recently, it was Christians who fought to end slavery, improve opportunities for women, and risk their lives in the pursuit of racial equity. For 2000 years, Jesus-followers were the activists pushing for radical transformation. But in this 21st century, we are witnessing a major shift. Christians now are opposed to many of the trends which are splitting people and families apart. Changes are coming so fast that few can keep up. It is hard to even fully comprehend what is going on.
I think that the bulk of these changes come down to identity. What is our identity? If one says that God hates homosexuality, a gay person might respond: “Your god hates who I am. He hates me.” A person who is a member of a racial minority might claim: “Lived experience defines identity.” Only persons of the same race have permission to speak to their issues. Identity in modern culture largely reduces to race and gender.
For Jews and Christians, this is not true. There are many factors that contribute to one’s identity, but our relationship to the creator is primary. Consider the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
This is the centerpiece of Jewish morning and evening prayers. Identity is not race or gender. Rather, it is the covenantal relationship with the creator and ruler of the Universe.
What is a Christian’s identity? To answer this question, let’s turn to the New Testament. It contains remnants of early Christian phrases and hymns. Scholars date them to the first years, or even months after the resurrection. One of these appear at the start of many of Paul’s letters. Close variants also show up in the letters of Peter, James, and John.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Apparently, this was an early Christian greeting. It defined identity, pointing directly back to the first sentence of the Shema, “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” This is a Christian’s identity. We are the children of God adopted into his kingdom with Jesus as our Lord and God our father. There is nothing here about ethnicity, nothing about race, nothing about gender.
So, why is there such a struggle? Why are Christians so troubled by current events? I suppose it comes down to issues of morality. The cultural river of our time is secular. In a non-religious world, the social consensus becomes the standard. Humanity has elevated itself and presumes to know how to distinguish between good and evil. Society therefore has become a collection of people gods.
Perhaps we as Christians have lost focus. If Jesus is our Lord, his teachings should be the basis for how we live. Morality comes from him, not from culture. When we stray, the Holy Spirit, if really present within, will convict us to change our path.
For new believers, these truths should be emphasized. One does not become a citizen of God’s kingdom by saying a scripted phrase, or by agreeing to a doctrine. It is by submitting to the work of the Holy Spirit who will transform us patiently over time. Churches are hospitals containing communities of fellow travelers participating in the long, hard struggle of refinement. The goal is to become truly human; this is the goal which God has predestined for us.
Let’s conclude with Paul’s advice to the Ephesians in the pre-Christian Roman era:
At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (Eph 5:8-10)
I have not arrived. I think I can say, “I’m better than I was in the past.” I keep trekking along because I have a long way to go. “God, help me in my journey.” May grace and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus be upon you as well.
Thanks for listening,secondlooknow.com
You got me thinking again, Dan. I wonder if part of my confusion today come because attractive, strong individuals in the Christian camp talked loudly about issues they felt were Christian then the issues warped, left The Way to become their own thing divorced from basic values of the faith, and my attention drifted with them.
Wow. With your permission, can I host this on my blog as a guest post? Marvelous! This was a huge theme for our elders retreat. Identity and vision. We as believers are lost and babbling because we don’t know our own story.