First published in Holy Trinity Sunday bulletin, 1st Sunday after the Epiphany, “The Baptism of our Lord,” January 13, 2019.
Since the founding of this nation, the dominant moral and ethical framework from which the American society drew its norms, behaviors, and even its laws, was the Protestant Christian Worldview. Those times are gone. Multi-cultural Secular Humanism is now the dominant moral/ethical framework. Some would even say it is the dominant “religion” in America today.
There is no reason, however, for pessimism or hand-wringing. God is in charge and is still growing and caring for His Church. In fact, with this cultural shift comes opportunities for the Church to be what she was commissioned to be by Christ, which is a light in a dark world and the source of “Good News” for a people who desperately need to hear it.
Christianity has always flourished as a minority worldview. There is something right at the center of the Christian Faith which says we are to love and accept right where they are people who live and believe differently from us. Jesus always did! We do not need to agree with worldviews that are contrary to God’s truths nor “hide our light under a bushel” when it comes affirming the truths of the Kingdom. Jesus never did! Our calling is not to be politically correct. Jesus never was!
We should not expect this to be easy, because the dominant culture is not moving in the direction of openness and tolerance of the Christian Worldview; in fact, it is moving in the other direction. Much more needs to be said about living as Christians in a non-Christian culture, and Holy Trinity needs to think through the issues related to this in order to be effective ambassadors of Christ in today’s world. This year I intend to lead us into doing this.
To God be the Glory! Father Rob
We are the Family of God (His Body) and He has brought us together, to be one in Him, that we may be (His) light (and salt) to the world.
ReplyDeleteThe Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;
For what we have received, we pass on as of first importance: That Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.
(Isaiah 61:1 and 1 Cor Chapter 15)
Go make disciples of all men, go tell them my Way is True, tell them The Wonderful Story, that they may be one in Me, too.
Thank you Michael
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