Transform the World

"If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next… It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this." — C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"

Scripture is clear about where our focus should be. Paul talks many times about turning our attention to things above, not things below. My favorite version of this is Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will."

That flies in the face of our common culture. We praise people who are original once they've become successful, but when people stray from the norm, they often face criticism and derision. We want people to conform and follow the social and cultural norms.

In the TV show "Fargo," in the basement of the main character, there is a poster that always catches my eye. It's a school of fish, all yellow, all moving in the same direction. In the middle is a red fish swimming against the current. I don't remember the exact phrase, but the sentiment of the poster is the question: "How do you know they're right and you're wrong?" In essence, the message is maybe you should be swimming against the cultural tide.

In the last chapter of "Respectable Sins," Jerry Bridges essentially boils the respectable sin of Worldliness down to "going along" with the culture. As Christians, we're called to stand apart, we're called to something different. But, to often, we don't demonstrate that.

I worry about the church in America, and the future of the church in America. I can't help but read that quote from C.S. Lewis and wonder if that's a big part of our problem. When you live for today, you forget about the hope of tomorrow.