Disengagement

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you ... --  Matthew 28:19-20

And he said to them, Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. -- Mark 16:15

Justin at Arctic Pilgrim expresses a legitimate concern about Christians and culture. I don't have any disagreement with the views expressed by him or those who commented.  But it does raise the question in my mind about how we are to engage the culture. 

For example, the notable Catholic priest, Father Robert Barron, often does commentaries on current movies.  We might think that reviewing The Hobbit or Les Miserables makes sense, but he also reviews Skyfall.  I'm not sure I've ever seen an entire Bond movie.  You also have sites like Stephen Graydanus' Decent Film Guide which is beneficial in rating movies and deciding if redemptive value is present. The reviewers provide a service to individuals and families choosing what to view or not view. 

Some things are just too disturbing to watch or hear or read -- I mean, apart from speeches by NMP Obama, Michelle Obama's outfits, and Hillary Clinton's Congressional testimony.  I find most so-called Country music brain-damagingly stupid.  Whatever they call that "urban" crap now is brain-dead.  Television and movies are mostly Death Valley with the occasional oasis. 

If, however, I were attempting to fulfill the Great Commission, I would probably need to think about how I might best connect with the people around me -- the people who are listening to Jay-Z, watching Twilight and CSI: Aberdeen.  While the hermitage is more appealing to me all the time, not everyone is called to disengage from society and the dominant culture.  Jesus was talking about how to live as we go -- as we go into all the world, as we go about our business, as we interact with the people God brings into our lives. 

The fact is that if you are going to successfully make disciples of the people around you, you are going to have to go beyond the Roman Road and the ABCs of salvation.  Discipleship requires much more than motivating someone to cry and pray a 30-second prayer.  You build a rapport and a relationship.  You make disciples of friends -- generally speaking.  You take the heavy end of a guy's freezer going backward down some rickety basement stairs.  When you invite him over to watch the game, he's going to feel more comfortable ragging you about why you changed the channel when the Hardee's commercial came on. 

Most of us aren't willing to invest that kind of time and effort into other people.  We aren't willing to engage on the level where those around us live.  That is the difference between us and Jesus.  That is, then, the reason the church remains insulated and ineffective in putting boundaries on the excesses of the culture, as well as failing to make effective disciples even while busily counting converts.   

We are looking at lost generations.  They have rejected -- or never heard -- any kind of meaningful, authentic mythology on which to pattern and shape their lives.  They live as indoctrinated, unthinking, pragmatic nihilists -- unless and until their thought processes can be engaged to give them a revelation of the absurdity of their chosen existence. 

One by one.