Here’s two more points regarding this issue of Christians engaging with the culture and then, that’s it. I’m done with this topic. We’re on to the next one.
Take The High Road
As followers of Christ, when we engage the culture, we have to be the ones to take the high road. If we are engaged in some cultural issue and those who disagree with us, don’t play fair and they distort the truth and they sling mud and call us names and they use underhanded tactics; we still have to take the high road.
I read a book review yesterday about a book by a Christian scholar who was addressing some of the issues and challenges of what’s being called the new atheism. The reviewer was a Christian and he said this book by the Christian scholar was excellent and he said the author really makes some excellent points and he deals with the challenges of the new atheists very effectively.
Then, the reviewer said [I’m paraphrasing]: I just wish that the author of the book would have let these new atheists have it, a little more. This author had such great replies, but he could have been a little more triumphant and little more smug and gotten a few more verbal jabs in at the new atheists. The reviewer said, after all, that’s the literary tactics that they use.
But then the reviewer added this line: But, the author of this book had the proper Christian tone of love and humility and even respect towards those with whom he differed. I guess he had to. As a Christian, he had to take the high road.
[Note: Again, this is a paraphrase of the reviewers remarks from my memory, it’s not a direct quote.]
Our effectiveness at debating the points might actually be diminished because we take the high road instead of stooping to lower tactics, but that’s part of the standard that has been set by our King. Our King always took the high road and that’s what he calls us to do, as well.
Leave The Outcome To God
Sometimes, when we engage with the culture, as Christians, we will become very passionate about the outcome of the engagement—that’s natural because we care about the issue and because we’ve put time and effort into the issue and, therefore, we become vested in the matter and we care about the outcome.
But one of the aspects of this subject that we have to come to grips with is that we don’t control the outcome. The outcome is in God’s hands. This is part of trusting God.
We can trust Him, right?
Here’s our job: We are supposed to be obedient. We must do what God calls us to do. We have to be obedient to the best of our ability. We have to be wise and work diligently and try to be effective. There will be instances where we will need to think, and pray, and plan in very intentional ways—perhaps even in aggressive ways. But, at the end of the day, the outcomes belong to God.
And that’s good because He knows what’s best.
We can trust Him, right?
Dan Marler
First Church of God
Oak Lawn, IL
www.VisitUsOnline.org
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