Living in Today’s Culture: A Christian Perspective Part 2

Going Beyond Popular Culture

It is easy to be tempted to conform to today’s pop culture. It has a set of practices and beliefs that are dominant. These are ubiquitous with the pull of social media, the arts and entertainment industry, and news media. The latest pop culture news, music, movies, and celebrity stories have become very influential in our nation’s culture. Jesus was never affected by culture.  As a matter of truth, he was counterculture.  He went against the norms of his time.

How do we prevent ourselves from being polluted by the world? We are commanded to avoid its many influences (1 John 2:15-17).

What is the state of Christianity in America? Where are we as a church? Dr. Michael Brown poses a question in “The Fire That Never Sleeps: Keys For Sustaining Personal Revival.” He asks, “What shape are we in as the saints of God? Are we fulfilling the Great Commission? Are we drawing from the rich well of our spiritual inheritance in Christ? Or are we settling for substandard redefinition of Christianity? Has it been polluted and compromised by popular culture?”¹

True spirituality that is pure in the eyes of our Father God involves making a difference. It means affecting the lives of the orphans. It also involves helping widows in their troubles and refusing to be corrupted by the world’s values (James 1:27).

Sadly, our nation has become divided between political parties. Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to choose between being and Democrat, Republican or Independent. Yet each day we can see how divided our nation has become based upon political beliefs. Being a good Christian is not determined by whether we are one or the other.

We must be careful not to corrupt the gospel message with our partisan political views. These views can create divisiveness within the community. It is supposed to be known by our love.  There’s been a lot of talk about “civility” in the news. Today it’s even difficult for people to be civil toward one another.  Are we facing a civility crisis? Civility can be defined as speech that is courtesy, polite and gentle.

Over the past few years much has been said and written about the growing incivility in our country. Almost daily, we read stories of white people calling the police for trivial reasons. These include selling water. They also include having a cookout in the park and landscaping a neighbor’s yard. Teenagers swimming at a local pool are also part of these incidents. A week or so ago, a white woman yelled “rapist” at an Hispanic man, a US citizen, doing yard work. A local restaurant decided not to serve a civil servant because of her affiliation with the President. Another public servant was hackle in a Washington, DC restaurant. A politician lashed out encouraging her supporters to harass Trump administration officials. Just recently, a man verbally attacked a woman. She was wearing a shirt with Puerto Rico’s flag on it. A park police officer stood by and did nothing. This is insane in today’s climate of unruliness and lawlessness in our society. 

“The incivility in America’s public discourse has grown so prevalent and toxic. It seems coarse name-calling has overtaken dignified civil discourse. Americans across political lines now consider it a crisis. Many feel physical and emotional stress because of it. This information is stated in an article linked on the National Institute for Civil Discourse. (2)

What does the Bible have to say about being civil towards one another? Let’s examine a few Scriptures:

1. Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words (Eccl. 10:12).
2. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them (Eph. 4:29).
3. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father. Other times it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right (James 3:9-10)!
4. Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen. Be slow to speak. Be slow to get angry (James 1:19).
5. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language (Col. 3:8).

All of these Scriptures show speech that should be charitable and edifying. Name-calling, foul language and hateful or unnecessary expressions of anger have no place in our society.

“Let every word you speak be drenched with grace and tempered with truth and clarity. For then you will be prepared to give a respectful answer to anyone who asks about your faith” (Col. 4:6 TPT).

1. Brown, M., Kilpatrick, J., with Sparks, L. (2015). The Fire That Never Sleeps: Keys For Sustaining Personal Revival. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny’s Image
2. Civility crisis in American politics likely to get worse, experts say, Fri, 2018-07-06, https://nicd.arizona.edu/news/civility-crisis-american-politics-likely-get-worse-experts-say,

Blessings,

Dr. Francine is an ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She hosts a broadcast called “Going Beyond Church” on Facebook. You can connect with Dr. Francine on Facebook at @afrancinegreen as well as on Twitter @beyond_2017. Visit her website at http://www.afrancinegreen.com.