Over the years there has been a steady debate about the level at which Christians can be legitimately involved in the culture without corrupting themselves. While the description of ‘culture” often becomes limited to a focus on the arts, it is imperative that we understand that culture in essence reflects our lifestyle; our day to day interactions and our responses to such. I do believe that it is time we in the church stop running from the world in fear with our tails between our legs because we think the big bad world might infect us with its sin. We don’t seem to have much confidence in the light that we are. Try lighting a match in a dark room, no matter how small the flame, it will penetrate and alter the darkness; not the other way around.
Traditionally, especially in conservative evangelical circles, we have interpreted “Love not the world …’as abandonment of the world and its culture which was viewed as inherently evil. While the point has been made that culture isn’t inherently evil, some aspects of it will be because mankind is fallen and since culture is a reflection of who we are, it will mirror in some respects our “fallen-ness”. Clothing, music, art etc become volatile because man infects them with his sin. At the same time, man as made in the image and likeness of God, is also capable of reflecting so much that is positive. That is why as Christians we are called to invade and not abandon culture; if we dwell as transformed people, in the midst of the culture, yet without sin, then we are capable of presenting an alternative of which Christ is the essence. When people are transformed by the power of Christ, then the negative aspects of culture become transformed as well.
If we take our cue from Jesus, the very stories and parables he used, and his day-to-day interaction with the Jewish people, demonstrate that he was quite comfortable inhabiting the culture; even as he showed the scribes/pharisees and sinners at large, a more excellent way.This would have lent authenticity to His message and He is God Himself! Christ refused to imbibe the hypocrisy of the religious elite (which was an aspect of the religious culture of His day)instead He redefined the sabbath and the entire law by showing that He came to fulfill it. Nothing explains this better, than the concept of incarnation; the word becoming flesh and dwelling among men; God entering the culture of man, to redeem man. Need we say more?
