05 Feb What About?

Like a lot of people (and maybe even you), I have experienced a couple of long-simmering cultural trends accelerating over the last decade.

The first trend is, of course, the extreme polarization of American political and religious camps. Each side can come to see the other not just as wrong, but as evil. This moral categorization creates space not just for hatred of another, but justifies violence against “the other”. We don’t just disagree; we demonize.

As a result, people ask, Why should I even care about them?

The second trend, which has been on the rise for a long time in Western culture and is well-documented, is the death of truth. Cultural meta-narratives (the reason why any culture or nation exists) have gone by the wayside, and some for good reason (ethnic supremacy, for example). Regardless–and I hope you’ll see this–that whenever this happens, when the reason for “why we’re even together” goes away, when “God” as an answer goes away, when “for our nation” as an answer goes away, the only remaining option is “for the self”. And when “the self” is king, “the self” makes the rules and the truth, with nothing larger to shape it, or check it (witnessed by the rise of stratified, individualized media corporations, conspiracy theorists, etc.)

As a result, people ask, Why should I not look out for me first?

And when these two factors collide, when fundamental fear and hatred of the other side meets a metanarrative of “looking out for number one”, the results can be, and have been explosive.

Now, “might” makes right, and people seek power at all costs because the ends justify the means.

What can help us right now? What could bring us out of hating “the other”, and ground us in capital T Truth?

For centuries, Christians have insisted that the person of Jesus and His Gospel can.

The Gospel, which teaches that I am not saved by my goodness, race or culture, humbles me and forces me to acknowledge that there really is no “us versus them”, only a “God versus humanity”–and He has bridged and closed that justifiable gap by sending Himself (Romans 5:8). We, therefore, have a new “meta-narrative” for existence, one which is discovered or given to us; not one we create ourselves.

And the Gospel teaches us that God, in the form of Jesus Christ, is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).

There is, therefore, real meaning and real truth in the person of Jesus and what He came to bring, in a way that can heal divides and bring people together.

To speak to these cultural trends and the questions they naturally produce: What is truth? Why are we here? What about God? We are beginning a brand new series that will run over the next few weeks, which will explore some emotional, cultural and rational reasons for the person of Jesus and the Christian faith.

Each week I’ll be giving us a meaningful reason to believe as well as speak to some common objections people may have around that particular reason (this week’s reason, for example: Christianity provides an indestructible meaning in life).

My goal is this, over the next several weeks: to not only ground Christian people in Gospel-shaped truth (and by the way, I’m especially appealing to all parents of high school and college students: make these Sundays “must-see TV” for your students) but to make these appealing to non-Christians, in terms of tone and content.

That being said, if you do have friends, family, or co-workers you know who would be interested/open/intrigued by meaningful talks on why the person of Jesus and Christianity make sense and should be considered, please invite them to watch. Watch together/at the same time, then discuss afterward.

As always, to help guide your discussion, you could consider using our community group discussion guide, developed weekly, to help you with those.

I’m trusting for gaps in relationship, in thinking, in our understanding and application of the Gospel to be shrunk and maybe close as we consider what “angels long to look into” (1 Peter 1:12): meaningful facets of–and reasons to believe and trust in– the Gospel of Christ.

I’ll see you then.
Morgan