All of us belong to multiple cultures. Culture is simply a sociological term to reference the customs, values, and way of living for a group of people. It’s like your individual identity, but in a group setting that influences you and your actions as an individual. Someone may say they are a product of American culture, Hipster Culture, Hippie Culture, or if I’ve been drinking some Pumpkin Spice Lattes in my scarves and boots, I may say I’m part of the White Girl Culture. Yet, just like we put our identity first in Christ as an image bearer and creation of God; we should also put our Christian Culture on first as it determines how we interact with all other spaces and cultures in our lives.
For example, in many ways I relate to a more Hippie-like Culture, where living naturally and loving the environment are staples. However, Christian Culture would also tell us to love the environment, but our motivation will stem from being made in the image of God and being told to steward over all Creation. This motivation is higher and has true transformative power of the Gospel behind it, therefore the primary reason I love caring for the environment stems from my Christian Culture & faith and not a Hippie Culture.
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served something created, instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.
Romans 2:25
While on a surface level, me caring for the environment and a secular hippie caring for the environment can look like the same thing. Yet, because of our primary culture we have completely different motivations, methods, and goals. I think the fact that we refer to nature as Mother Nature even highlights the difference, you can quickly turn your cause into worshipping the environment and soon it is your idol and God. However, if your motivation comes from worshiping the Creator, you’re a part of a larger narrative of caring for all creation and being a part of God’s redemptive plan because of your love for Him.
As much as environmentalists want to advocate for policy change and shout out about climate change, their arguments for action offer little motivation outside of guilt and shame. In the frame of the Gospel though, we sing out Psalm 8:3-6, “When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him? You made him a little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. You made ruler over the works of your hands; you put everyone under his feet.”
The Gospel offers the only real transformative change for our individual hearts and thus the only power to sufficiently transform our culture, society, and environment. While this quote is originally directed towards a society’s culture, you could still apply the lesson to modern day environmental justice issues.
“Evangelism is a major instrument of social change. For the gospel changes people and changed people can change society.” – John Stott.
Let’s consider this quote by Scott David Allen: “The fact that evangelism no longer has a strong theology of a cultural engagement is perhaps the main reason we are in our present dilemma.”
Or this one by Nancy Pearcey, “The best way to drive out a bad worldview is by offering a good one, and Christians need to move beyond criticizing culture to creating culture. That is the task God originally created humans to do….in every calling we are culture-creators, offering up our work as service to God.”
We need to take seriously Paul in Romans:
“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12:2
We need to take back culture. We need to engage with it yet remain distinct. We can’t withdraw into our own safety bubbles, yet we can’t blow with the wind of secularized culture. We find ourselves not wanting to “look” like secular culture or careing about a secularized issue out of fear of being called a progressive or left-wing Christian. But I promise, we can care about same issues, remain distinct, and point people back to the Gospel message.
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
Colossians 1:19-20
That’s a big, redemptive message. If God reconciled all things, and we’re His ambassadors of reconciliation, then we should be bringing the Gospel into every nook and cranny of culture. Again, we can expand lessons from an individual level to a societal level here. If you’ve ever counseled a friend, been in Biblical Counseling, provided pastoral care, etc, then you have seen how people can use Scripture and God’s wisdom to speak truth into other’s lives. The same is true of our society.
Let’s go back to the environmental justice example. I used to work alongside another nonprofit focused on reducing food waste, naturally I loved the cause but it felt a bit hopeless. Food waste continues and a vast majority of people still care about getting their fresh produce from a store and don’t want to spend extra time thinking about how to compost old produce. My favorite part though was that this was an issue God speaks to. If you know someone values the environment, how exciting to intersect that value and point to the higher value of Christ on the Cross and the world reconciled! You can direct the conversation back to how God created the world and told us to steward it well and now you have an opening to share the Gospel message to someone. Think about how much more of an impact they could have in society with a renewed mind and heart than if they spent the rest of their lives thinking it was just about reducing food waste and there was no bigger picture.
Think about what our culture would look like if we took advantage of moments like this, intersecting people right where they are, fully engaged in culture and pointed them back to Christ. Those renewed minds would lead to a renewed society a lot like this:
“9 Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. 10 Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. 13 Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord. 20 But if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. 21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
Romans 12:9-21
Now that’s a culture I want to live in.
I’ll conclude with some thoughts on
How to Engage Culture without becoming a Cultural Christian
- Use your Words
- That little saying that actions speak louder than words isn’t true. Words speak, and people need to hear the Word of God. Especially if we are in a situation where we can intersect a moment with the Gospel message or our actions could be misconstrued as a secular culture value, we need to speak up to point back to our “why” (Colossians 4:4-6)
- Act Differently
- In a culture that communicates putting our needs first, getting even with others, quick results, and material items… instead we can engage with humility, put other’s needs first, let God seek His vengeance, let other people get attention, consume less and give more, practice patience. These simply values (or fruits of the Spirit) can stand in stark contrast to culture and are simple acts to draw people back to God. (Romans 12:9-14)
- Be Cautious of how you Participate
- Not everything we do will give glory to God, so be careful where and what you participate in. For example, the Interfaith Council may put on an event about homelessness in our city. A worthy cause, but I wouldn’t participate because their prayers and teachings will point to another source besides the Triune God. I would participate in a community clean up day and consider it as working towards a common good as no other God is being worshipped, the Gospel isn’t being detracted from, and I can act in a God honoring way. Plus, maybe I can share with someone about creation care. (Acts 17)
- Appreciate the Nuance of Cultural Engagement
- There’s lots of opinions on how Christians get cultural engagement wrong, and we certainly run the risk of being in a bubble or letting ourselves slip into a social gospel message or losing our faith altogether. So, keep reading Scripture, that is where wisdom and discernment is found. And you’ll probably make some mistakes along the way. Just remember we were meant to be salt and light in this world, we should engage culture in a way that draws people back to the light and truth of God. (Matthew 5:13-16)
- Small Decisions make Big Impact
- Don’t be discouraged if you feel like you’re not making a big impact on culture. Think of the process of sanctification, you didn’t become a Christian and that day perfectly exemplified the fruits of the Spirit. We must go on the process of sanctification, and so does our society. Every decision to be obey God, share His truth in love, celebrate His grace, and to worship Him will bear fruit. (1 John 2:3-11; 15-16)