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Living Subconsciously
Living in a postmodernism society which is also post-Christian (in its broadest sense), means Christians face a new, subconscious danger. I call it new, but that is meant historically as lived out by each individual, and not that is never has occurred historically for past Christians. Americans have had a comfortable Christianity wherein society supported the general Christian mores. Conversion had more to do with what church you chose, and not what Lord you served and therefore how you lived. Christians didn’t have to be counter-cultural (and yet did not see how much they still should have especially concerning race issues). Therefore the new danger is that just as American Christians didn’t really think about how their life should be even more different from society and therefore blended in, Christians in this postmodern environment will unconsciously blend in to society. Both Christians today and yesterday made the same mistake.
1. What is this faith-failure? Not obeying this command – “Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you.” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
2. Do we today see that ironically our postmodern society is from the past? “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.” (CSB’17 Ecclesiastes 1:9)
But let’s get even more personal. We Christians, especially those of us who “grew up in the church” have unconsciously adopted our own religious environment. That was the Jewish problem of their day. That was their means of practicing separation and staying clean religiously which is in application it’s own danger (2 Cor.6:17). So let me ask,
1. “What is our Sabbath?” that we would hold as more holy than people? “If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent.” (CSB’17 Matthew 12:7)
2. “Who are our tax-collectors, Gentiles, and sinners” that we look down upon? “All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him. And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”” (CSB’17 Luke 15:1-2)
What have we learned? Living in a postmodern society and living in a religiously sanctioned society ironically share same the default mental setting – unconsciously accepting what is wherein we become imitators of our times, rather than imitators of Jesus.
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