Two abrupt and intimidating transitions occurred in the last three centuries. Our social and economic framework has had a tectonic shift moving from an agraian society to an industrial economy into a microchip-based society. Our social and cultural values were turned inside out and then inside out again.
Our century functions differently. We view capital differently, we value life differently, love differently, we see through individualistic eyes, we feel ideas and truth instead of knowing them, we know the industrial revolution instead of releasing man from slavery and feudalism, entrapped him into a power game of enslavement, finally we acknowledge the rich West steals from the poor South/East.
It is into this society that is trying to find itself in the second tectonic shift that we must bring the Gospel of Christ. We need to present people answers to questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing? Where am I going? Am I significant in the universe? OR does a person answer their own questions their own way?
We need to engage people where they live that in Christ are found answers to the major issues of life: God is intimately connected to personal and human needs and gives concreteness.
But what if God is no longer the central focus of our lives? What if God is no longer relevant to a society that values a postmodern way of life, whose need is to “find themselves” and then stumble on what’s left; a smorgasbord of religions, a Pantheon of gods, a pod of Pagans.
Our public education system has discouraged God and encouraged that if something is not scientific, it is not a success; it is not reliable. Science is capable of dealing only with quantitative matters: How much? How big? How far? How fast? Science is incapable of dialogue with issues such as values, purpose, meaning; the only meanings we can now have is what we apply in our own lives.
What guides us in creating meanings? How do we measure values? If the goals we pursue are not capable of bearing our meanings, then what? What about morality: a basic understanding of right and wrong? How do we evaluate actions and events? Is morality not critical to our participation in society?
Science cannot instruct us in morality. And in a society where there are a variety of opinions about what is right and wrong, how do we know which opinion is correct? Does simple majority rule? One might claim it is the government’s right and responsibility to rule. Tell the victims of Hitler, Stalin, apartheid and black slavery in United States that government policy and despotic regimes are wrong.
Many people think religion has nothing important to say regarding public activities. So, in our public lives religion is only allowed a minor role at best. This attitude affects how we view our private lives as well. Thus, in order to relate Christianity, the first step we might need to take is to show how Christianity applies to life. Clearly we must show Christ to be relevant by percolating a Godly life.
You might think that to be difficult, but I say no! Confess Christ when we serve and help out others; let's be sure to include Christ.
I believe that Jesus and Peter and Paul and the other disciples were relevant to their day. They met people where they were; ate with them, talked to them, ministered to them, healed their sickness. Jesus had special concern for the poor and the marginalized. We know He wasn't like everyone else. We also know He didn't love like everyone else either.
I agree that love is the undeserved gift from God and I fear that too many people think relevance is just talking God and Jesus. This is not relevance. When a high school kid struggles with a big issue, what's most relevant to him or her is a caring adult coming along side and guiding and mentoring. In fact, our church service isn't even the most relevant thing we have...that would be our small groups. This is where the truth can be the most personal, the most relevant.
In evangelical witness today change the central theme of the Gospel back to justification by faith, not the new life, not being born again. People know that they do wrong, and they want to have the burden of guilt lifted. Lets give them Christ and not a Universal Morality; they don’t have to maintain a clear conscience; they need Christ to wash away their sins. Take away the Me/Myself/I relative standard.
One problem is not that we have left Jesus out of our lives; the problem is we have left Him out of the central place, the place of Lordship! We want His blessings, we want answers to our prayers, we want the heaven He offers; and yet we still want to be in control.
Lastly, I think we need to show Christianity to be plausible and not credible. We must get people's attention first by bringing Christianity into a position of being true. The idea that we make Christianity relevant to culture through our own doing is small minded. It is humankind that should conform to the will of God, not God conforming to Mankind. God’s commands and teachings are as relevant in the life of the church today as they ever were.
What Jesus says will never become outdated and will never need to be upgraded. Jesus did not say go preserve a heritage, or go feed the hungry, or go establish institutions of learning and care giving. Jesus did not say, teach people to live at peace with one another. Jesus said go and make disciples of all nations.
If there is no God out there, the best we can do is accept the reality of our nothingness, make of ourselves whatever we can, and bravely face a universe that does not care. Remember, Satan is not fighting religion; he is too smart for that. He is producing a counterfeit Christianity so much like the real one that good Christians are afraid to speak out against
