In Need of a Culture Change
If you were a fly on the wall at my house (or more likely a
wolf spider in the corner), you’d think one member of our family believes the
world is going to hell in a hand basket and it will only get worse and the
other one is naively idealistic and thinks nothing is impossible for God.
Spoiler alert: I’m the naive idealistic.
My Man, a new believer, echoes the culture around us. Sadly,
he also echoes a majority of Christians as well. By and large, most of us are
in survival mode. We put in the time here on earth doing what we can to hold on
and not get swept away by the current of defeat, and seismic social injustices
until the day when we are whisked away to a heavenly refuge, far away from the
troubles and problems of this world.
It’s been a process for me – to change my way of thinking
from “Get me out of here” mentality to understanding God’s desire for reality
on the earth [now] is supposed to model the heavenly reality. I’m not being
naive to place my faith and my hope that the kingdom of heaven is truly at hand
(within reach) because it is the message
Jesus preached (Matthew
10:7).
Has anyone seen the movie, Milk, starring Sean Penn as
Harvey Milk, a homosexual turned political gay activist? He began to turn a
culture around from believing homosexuality was a mental disorder to
normalizing it in society. He did this by encouraging anyone who was gay and “in
the closet” to come out. He [correctly] reasoned if everyone knew someone who
was gay (their doctor, co-worker, best friend, or their child) people would
change their homophobic way of thinking. It took a generation but it worked. We
no longer have TV shows like Leave it to Beaver, instead shows with ensemble
casts usually showcase a gay or lesbian couple, such as Modern Family (which I
love, by the way) and it is no longer shocking or different.
I think Harvey Milk was onto something. What if believers
stood up and took action? Could we change a culture? Could we sway an entire
generation to think differently? I believe to the very depths of my soul that
the Bible is true and [truly] nothing is impossible for God. We need a
reformation; God has done it before and he can do it again.
We are not defeated, and the world is not going to hell in a
hand basket. It’s time for Christians to stand up, and declare the kingdom of heaven
is at hand, and within reach. The Bible promises when we confess Jesus is Lord,
we will be saved and not be put to shame (Romans
10:9,11). Either Jesus is Lord, or he’s not. If he isn’t then I agree there
is no hope for us but if Jesus is Lord, then he is Lord over all – including our
culture.
I need others to participate with me and voice their
declaration of the truth. Nothing is impossible for God. He can heal cancer and
he can transform hearts and change the way a generation thinks. If there are
more who believe the same way, it will no longer be counter-cultural. Martin
Luther King Jr. pioneered a culture change about the way we thought about black
people; Harvey Milk pioneered a culture change about the way we think about
homosexuals. What are you pioneering?
The kingdom of heaven is full of God’s glory and goodness;
let’s walk out our lives in faith in response to the truth and watch the tide
of change take hold in our culture’s thoughts and values. It really is that
simple. We walk by faith and truth; the Lord will do the rest.
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