Thursday, January 12, 2017

Rebuilding Our Witness (Part 1): Why It’s Time to Take a Second Look at Our Christian Worldview in Light of Our New Political Climate


A Christian worldview embraces two things: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission

In my neighborhood is a sign that reads, “No matter where you come from, we are glad you are our neighbor.” It’s a simple sign that does two important things. First, it speaks a message of love and acceptance.

Second, it is directed at the receiver.

You see, it’s in multiple languages.

It’s been several months since the Presidential elections concluded here in the U.S., and in a little over a week we will see our new President inaugurated. Over 80% of White Evangelicals voted for our now President-elect, Donald Trump. And a wedge which already existed among Evangelicals grew wider. It’s a wedge that separates Anglos from People of Color, for exampe, inside the Church. (Then, there’s the wedge between Evangelicals and the broader culture, also made more evident in this election.)

Regardless of how you voted, we can all acknolwedge that many churches now have a witness problem. How do we recover from both the external daggers being thrown our way from the secular world, and the internal daggers severing us from within? (See the end of this post for an important event I am hosting and leading on January 24 surrounding these kinds of questions.)

I think it’s time for all of us to revisit what it means to hold to a Christian worldview that primarily embraces two things: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. To be clear, this is a worldview that holds to God as Creator, Redeemer, Restorer, and Holder of all things. This is Colossian 1:16-18. But it is also a worldview that cannot divorce itself from what this very God called us to: the Great Commission. Read More

Image Credit: Laurie Nichols

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