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It grieves me to know that a watching postmodern world, our world, looks at the Christian
community and concludes we have little or nothing to offer. This is not the way
it is supposed to be. Jesus expected us to flourish in such a way as believers
that our community, rooted in relationships of compassion to those inside and
outside the church would stand out in a world were loneliness, alienation, and
isolation are the rule rather than the exception. “By this all men will know
that you are my disciples,” he said, “if you have love for one another” (John
13:35). If we truly believe that according to the Scriptures each person bears
the dignity of being made in the very image of God, our treatment of them
should demonstrate that belief (Genesis 1:27). “As far as living is concerned,
we are on the knife-edge of time,” Francis Schaeffer insisted. “What will
matter is our relationship to the Lord Jesus, individually and then
corporately, at this existential moment. What counts, as [people] look upon
us... is whether we are exhibiting God and his character, now. The Christian
position is not static, but living.”
I have not been called into a position of influence in the
central corridors of power and influence in our postmodern world. So when I
propose a discussion on this blog about the “recovery of orthodox Christianity”
I am under no illusion that we will be exploring a way to change the direction
of history, a path for the church to follow to restore its authority and
authenticity in our times. I don’t even think in those categories. What I am
interested in exploring is more immediate, essential, and personal: What does Christian faithfulness look like
for ordinary Christians—like you and me—in our increasingly pluralistic world?
Here are the first two elements I think should be included
in our answer to this question.
Element #1—Our calling is to be faithful in the ordinary and routine.
It easy to
be distracted by programs promising extraordinary things, but mostly that’s all
they are: distractions. At its most central core, our calling before God is not
to do something spectacular but to be faithful in the ordinary things of daily
life. Since I have written on this before—you can read it here—I won’t bother
to develop the idea here or show its biblical foundation.
It is a
simple idea but profound in its implications. We need not add activities to our
schedule in the hope of achieving something significant, because the work of
our hands and the loving of those God has brought into our life can be done to
his glory. Doing these things well may not result in notoriety but then the
only approval that really counts is the “Well done” of our Lord. We may not see
the results of our faithfulness but then God has not promised to always let us
see them and said we are walk by faith in him.
For some
people this principle will mean taking time in community with trusted, safe,
and godly friends to gain a sense of their giftedness and to determine what priorities
the trajectory of their spiritual pilgrimage seems to suggest. They can be
given opportunities to learn and experiment as a sense of calling slowly takes
shape. For others this principle will require reducing commitments to open room
for what’s important instead of what’s merely urgent. They can restore a better
balance between work and rest, and then build from the knowledge of their
calling to how their gifts and time can be used most creatively. For all of us
we can ask whether we are flourishing as human beings. It will never be
perfect, of course, but truly being faithful to God’s call in the ordinary and
routine of life will be a path of flourishing because it is what we were made
for in the first place.
Element #2—Let’s
start asking an obvious question.
The
question is one I believe we should ask ourselves, and one another, at the end
of each Bible study, Sunday service, church discussion, personal devotions, or
reading of a Christian book. The question is this: How can I talk about this creatively and winsomely to the
non-Christians in my life so that they might be prompted to ask questions or be
interested in talking about it more?
My premise
is simple. We live in an increasingly pluralistic world where more and more of
our neighbors are unchurched. We have a faith that speaks intelligently,
substantially, and creatively to every facet of life and culture because Christ
is Lord of all. And so following Jesus in the world means among other things a
willingness to speak in ways that intrigue unbelievers.
Read Mark
4:1-20 and notice how Jesus talks to people. Here is the Second Person of the
Trinity come in the flesh, and a big crowd gathers to hear him speak. He can
say anything he wants. What does he say? He tells a story about a farmer sowing
seed and how the crop develops in four kinds of soil. And with that he is
finished. Reflect on that fact for a while.
Here is the
point: the story turned out to be so intriguing that “those around him with the
twelve,” in other words, his disciples plus some of the crowd who just heard
the story, stuck around and asked him, “What? We’d like to hear more. What did
you mean?” And Jesus continued the conversation. You are the ones, he told
them, to whom “has been given the secret of the kingdom of God.” Too often
today when we talk about our faith or when someone asks about our Bible study
all we can think to say is something that is factually true, but that also
happens to be a conversation stopper. Whatever we say tends to be in language
non-Christians do not normally use, about topics non-Christians tend not to
discuss, and in terms so banal that they tend to end the conversation not
intrigue the listener to want to hear and discuss more.
How can we talk about this creatively and
winsomely to the non-Christians in our lives so that they might be prompted to
ask questions or be interested in conversing about it more? Don’t be
discouraged if your first attempt to come up with something intelligent and
winsome seems impossibly difficult. Most of us have never thought to pose or
answer this question, so it will prove difficult. That’s why we need one
another, and can profit from an array of gifts in a group. Keep at it, and let
the creativity flow. And pray God’s Holy Spirit be at work in your minds and imaginations.
If our Bible study was on Mark 4:1-20, and someone at work asks what we did
last night, perhaps we could say something like this (choosing what would work
best in our particular work context): Got together with a group of friends and
talked about what it means to be spiritually receptive. Or, was in a discussion
of an ancient text that speaks to some challenging things that can subvert our
spiritual pilgrimage. Or… the possibilities are probably endless.
We live in
a pluralistic world that has become convinced that orthodox Christianity has
nothing of substance to offer a postmodern person. The way we talk about faith
should at least give them pause.
I hope you will leave comments about my first two ideas, pro
and con, and suggest ideas of your own.
This entry was posted
at Monday, August 13, 2012
and is filed under
Christian faith,
Conversation,
Creativity,
Francis Schaeffer,
Significance
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