There seems to be an increasing polarization in culture between the church and, well, everyone else. A lot of it has to do with politics (and the controversial evangelical alignment with President Trump); a lot has to do with the ubiquity of social media, a platform which Christians have far too often used to shame, mock, attack and spread fake news rather than commit to representing Christ with truth with grace.
It discourages me. Even worse, I know I contribute to the problem at times. I really, really want a pedestal to stand on, but it crumbled long ago.
I know the gap between those in the church and those outside it is not only widening but deepening, because I have dear friends outside the church who have made this abundantly clear. Even as Christians have gained power as citizens of the United States, we have lost gospel influence as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. What does it profit the Church to gain D.C. or get movies in theaters or have professional athletes pray if the light from the 'city on a hill' no longer pierces the darkness with honor, truth and grace?
I can beat the drum of "judgment begins in the house of God" all day.
In the midst of my ecclesiastical gloom and doom, a good friend challenged me last week to rethink my pessimism. Is my ever-present negativity doing justice to the reality of the 'boots on the ground" experience of the Christians I know? Well, not really. And is it doing justice to the Big Picture of the Christian presence in culture?
So I started doing some research.
I know the gap between those in the church and those outside it is not only widening but deepening, because I have dear friends outside the church who have made this abundantly clear. Even as Christians have gained power as citizens of the United States, we have lost gospel influence as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. What does it profit the Church to gain D.C. or get movies in theaters or have professional athletes pray if the light from the 'city on a hill' no longer pierces the darkness with honor, truth and grace?
I can beat the drum of "judgment begins in the house of God" all day.
In the midst of my ecclesiastical gloom and doom, a good friend challenged me last week to rethink my pessimism. Is my ever-present negativity doing justice to the reality of the 'boots on the ground" experience of the Christians I know? Well, not really. And is it doing justice to the Big Picture of the Christian presence in culture?
So I started doing some research.
