Read the rest.I believe we as Christians in America are at a crossroads with this election. On the one hand, there will be the renewed commitment to recruit more culture warriors to fight the fundamentalist battles of old. No doubt, their concerns are warranted. Obama is the most pro-abortion candidate ever to be voted President of the United States. He has also advocated a pro-socialist redistribution of wealth. The judicial system is vulnerable to liberal activism where the issues of sanctity of life, marriage, family, and the freedom of worship will certainly be challenged in the next four years.
On the other hand, I can’t help but think that the Obama presidency will help Christians who happen to be American to open our eyes to our syncretistic views of American Christianity. While the fundamentalist impulse is to retreat into the ghetto, pull out the dispensationalism charts, and check the rapture ready index as a morning devotional, perhaps for the first time Christians will no longer seek to Christianize America but speak prophetically and live missionally in our growingly secular world. Our greatest need is not to fight the battle against the culture but to fight against the battle of unbelief. It is safe to live as functional atheists when we’ve got God in our constitution, on our coins, in the White House, but when the props are removed from us, how shall we then live?
We must learn to live as missionary citizens.
The context of American culture is drastically changing, no doubt. We do need culture warriors–indeed, all of us need to actively stand for the values and virtues derived from our biblical worldview. But I am convinced more than that, we need a Christianity with a gospel that is sufficient, a mission that is dominant, and a Savior who is triumphant. Now is not the time to wallow in the cry, Woe is America!” Now is the time to plead with God, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
The Change We Need
Timmy Brister writes a great reflection on the election results:
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3 comments:
As I've written earlier, I think that we, as Christians, need to not be fundamentally "culture warriors," but fundamentally *God lovers.* We can fight battles within the culture (and we should, not withdrawing from the world in an unBiblical isolationism), but we should do so with love in our hearts for God and our brothers and sisters in Christ, and with love and concerned sadness for those who do not yet know Christ in a saving way.
Moreover, importantly, as Timmy implies here, when we fight battles in the culture, we should be humble, remembering that we are also *always* fighting unbelief in our own hearts.
I think this is a great post and dead on. And who knows how much of Christians being real Christians, (and not judgemental hate mongers, as no doubt Obama has probably seen the worst of the worst of Christians, unfortunately) will perhaps even rub off on the man? I think the guy is intelligent enough to that in the next 4 years, he may grow spiritually and ask himself hard questions he never has. I don't believe he's set in his ways. And he's in an amazing position where he'll have plenty of spiritual input all around him I'm sure.
Anyway - I think the guy has great leadership chops and great potential for good and to create positive change. Let's pray for him to work on the other areas too. God can take the worst of the worst and make them the best of the best know doubt.
"I don't believe he's set in his ways."
- I DID NOT just read that.
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