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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

May I Have Another Serving of Law, Please?

Image
This morning, I’m challenged by the audacity of forgiveness. I mean, I’m really feeling challenged and every time I want to justify punishment and due consequence the Holy Spirit drops the lyrics from Freedom Reigns in my mind: Freedom reigns in this place Showers of mercy and grace Are falling on every face There is freedom Argh! It’s utterly frustrating. A couple who was leading in the church I formerly attended have been charged with heinous crimes. Since their arrest in spring, I’ve been grappling with forgiveness, especially since there hasn’t been evidence of repentance. The charges have been laid and their cases are in the early stages of the Canadian criminal justice system. Their next court appearance will be to set the trial dates – it could be next month or next year. My honest desire is for them to be convicted, and sentenced to the maximum term – 10 years. And if I’m truly honest, I don’t want them just to go to prison, but I want their stay to be tort
Read more

When Love is Forced

Image
I posted something on social media that caused a bit of a stir. Perhaps you saw the original post and wanted to engage in a conversation but couldn’t because the original post was removed due to unintended reactions. If you are here to have a genuine conversation, then this is your invitation to the table. For the next few days, I will read, contemplate, and thoughtfully respond to your comments. Plus, I have snacks. She Said What?! For those who didn’t see the original post, I’m sure you’re curious. This is what I posted: The caption with the photo read, “Any forced ‘act of love’ is generally called rape. It was a deliberate choice of words, and I intentionally set privacy to ‘public’ because I wanted to provoke a reaction that would cause widespread genuine contemplation and discussion.  However, there were two matters that I didn’t fully consider: The first is that I wanted to encourage discussion but I didn't exactly leave it open to invite a conversation with me. Besides, Face
Read more

God Makes a Way

Image
I’ve recently returned from a missions experience like nothing I’ve ever participated before. I joined three other women (from United States, South Africa and Malaysia) and together we travelled to Tibet for four days. After Tibet, another American joined the team and we travelled to Bhutan for another five days of missions. In total, I was away from home for a full 14 days. Anxious thoughts plagued me for days, even before I left. I’m not typically anxious because I’m somewhat of a strategic visionary, which means I I like to plan and be prepared for all possible outcomes. This time, though, the airline called, “Fruit basket upset,” and I found myself without a flight home. Adding to my anxiety was a friend (who has a prophetic gift I trust) telling me she felt God was asking me to trust Him, and not to make any other plans or arrangements. She said I should show up at the airport. Her words struck fear in my heart. Show up?! Without a plan?! I went into a full tailspin
Read more