For despite all the fancy buildings, sophisticated programs, and highly visible presence, it is my contention that the church is almost a nonentity when it comes to shaping culture. In the arts, entertainment, media, education, and other culture-shaping venues of our country, the church has abdicated its role as salt and light.It especially hit home for me, considering I'm currently working for the church, when he said:
Culturally, we are lambs. Meek, lowly, easily dismissed cuddly creatures that are fun to watch but never a threat to the status quo.
It's time for those lambs to roar.
We have created a phenomenal subculture with our own media, entertainment, educational system, and political hierarchy so that we have the sense that we're doing a lot. But what we've really done is create a ghetto that is easily dismissed by the rest of society.How true is that? Recently, I've found myself completely immersed in a culture that has its own media centre, its whole network of schools and heck, I'm even going for the church's business meeting at the end of the month.
I feel extremely removed from main culture. My non-Christian friends largely live in Singapore, friendships that I established before I became Christian.
In Australia, having graduated from a college owned by my church and currently working for the church, I hardly have any non-Christian friends.
I don't feel relevant anymore. And yet, it's not easy for me to make new friends, especially those who don't hold the same belief system as I do. My entire social life circles around church stuff (and I have enough problems making friends in those circles)!
Something needs to change.
5 comments:
Brilliant post.
This is certainly one of my favourite topics. We need to be engaging the world, not withdrawing from it.
I work for a Christian radio station but our whole reason for being is to engage with our community. We have a large unchurched audience giving us some wonderful opportunities. However, that's not enough. I need to create and maintain friendships beyond the Christian sub-culture. I need to do that to keep an understanding of the culture around me and so that I can introduce people to Jesus.
Even in the blogosphere I am very intentional about reading blogs by those who are not Christian. Many of the bloggers who appear on my blogroll are not 'G rated', but they are great people who need to know that Jesus loves them.
Looks like I'll have to buy myself a copy of that book.
I can sooooooo relate to you there girl! ****something needs to change**** is my constant 'cry'.
I work for a mission organisation and a church. Though I have some non-Christian friends, my social network mostly evolve around Christian circle too.
Oh yes I wanna be a roaring lamb!
Nice blog you got there.
This does sound like a very interesting book, which I think I can also relate to probably way too much.
It is now on my Amazon wish list (which somehow just keeps on getting longer).
Not a Christian, but I understand your pt abt being withdrawn fr the world.
Guess that's partly why the Mid-East world is having sm trouble conciling modernity with religion.
No1 can exist in a vacuum.
Hey Mel, I hear ya!
I was there recently too. In that phenomenal subculture that gives one the sense that "we're" doing a lot. One of the hardest things I've ever done in my life was to consciously step away from all that.
At the moment my life is much slower paced. No lights, no bylines, no name. And I'm learning to 'live the life' a different way.
But I believe this is your season to be where you are. Your background uniquely qualifies you to bring a more balanced approach to the comm's role - so you hold your head high and go shake the status quo!
And if you get a spare moment when in Melbourne, perhaps we'll get to catch up again.
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