How do we impact our culture?
John Thurston, whose house is above, raised his grandson, my father, when my granddad abandoned his new family. Thurston rassled a grizzly and won (otherwise I wouldn't be writing this). He knew the world he lived in, and navigated it well. How about us?
A man of his times
my dad’s granddad knew his Utah mountains
how to trail a grizzly
to gain a rug
how to stalk the wily Weber River trout
to feed a growing family
how to read the shapes and shades on the horizon
to prepare for the snow soon to arrive
A man of my times
I know my suburban southern California
how to navigate the lanes on crowded freeways
to save a few rushed minutes
how to gauge proper dress
to go as casual as I can
how to craft a resume with keywords
to gain a computer’s attention and a job
So have I gained
or lost?
That last question implies some loss, right? But as much as I admire him, great granddad's skills wouldn't do well if you suddenly plunked him into our culture. Likewise, mine wouldn't help much in a match with a grizzly. We both know our times and deal with them. How can we best impact the culture we now live in? Two steps are crucial.
First, following a civil war, David had been chosen as king of a fractured nation, and began to consolidate the people. Among those who supported David was a group "from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do" (1 Chronicles 12:32). Or, they knew the days they lived in, they saw the goal, and they crafted a strategy to transform the culture. But to transform it, they needed to know it.
Second, look at the apostle Paul’s strategy with the Athenians. He came into a pagan city with immorality imbedded in its culture. Never did he confront them about this, but he approached them with grace and gentleness, "I see that in every way you are very religious...I even found an altar...: 'to an unknown god.' Now what you worship as unknown I am going to proclaim to you" (Acts 17:22-23). Because he approached them with respect, he graciously gained a hearing to tell them about Jesus.
Gently understanding the values and standards of our society allows us to better reach them.
Kick Starting the Application
Let's move to 2025. Do we know and understand our culture? Do we see its strengths and weaknesses? Do we know the path that led us to where we are? Can we discern God's plan? Do we know the world views? The literature? The movies?
For many, we see our culture’s paganism and immorality. But can we set aside being critical in order to have rational and agreeable discussions, like Paul? Can we wisely reach out in love and respect and better bring people to Jesus?
Last, what will you do this week to know your times and what to do?