Christians are called to be the salt and light of the world – to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded us. We are to live in the world to bring the hope and peace that comes with salvation through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
But, in an attempt to reach the world have we created a subculture that has really alienated us and made us unable to reach others?
Let me explain…
In sociology, a subculture is a culture or set of people with distinct behavior and beliefs within a larger culture. The essence of a subculture, that distinguishes it from other social groupings, is awareness of style and differences in style, in clothing, music, jargon or other interests. (reference.com)
When I look at American Christianity (particularly in the Midwest), I see a large group of believers who look quite similar. They listen to Christian radio, read Christian books, wear Christian t-shirts, have little fish on their SUV’s, speak a unique lingo on Sunday mornings, vote Republican, and speak out against abortion and homosexual marriages. They have their own dating services, rent out entire theaters to support Christian themed movies, and are targeted by marketers in order to harness their purchasing power. (not that any of these things are bad, but collectively speaking, what kind of subculture do they create?)
So, my question is…what should the church look like? Should we have a defined subculture, or should there be Christians at every level and facet in society being salt and light?
Are we sending the message (knowingly or unknowingly) that converts to Christianity really need to be converts to our subculture?
Are we drawing people to Jesus Christ or just drawing them into the subculture of the church?
As modern day missionaries are we making the same mistakes of missionaries past who inextricably connected their culture with the gospel message and forced other cultures to accept it as the gospel?
Has belonging to this subculture become more important than being all things to all people?
Have we created a subculture that the larger culture can tolerate, but never experience?
Have we lost our relevance?
Or, is this subculture a good thing?
Christians have similar values, so wouldn’t they look similar and share a culture?
What do you think?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I think that the Christian 'subculture' (so to speak) should remain a place of belonging. Whilst it is important to reach out, there is an element of retaining what it is we believe. We don't expect other subcultures to suddenly embrace all walks of life for that would involve rejecting who they are. I believe we can reach out to people but that does not mean we have to change who we are.
Post a Comment