Lyndon Bowring
How do Christians fit into caring for culture?
Executive Chairman of CARE, Lyndon Bowring comments on the causes close to the heart of the Christian community.
When God had finished Creation, he said it was ‘very good’, containing seeds of amazing potential.
It was complete yet not finished, so Adam and Eve were commissioned to ‘fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion’, to develop culture in all its fullness.
In their agrarian culture this meant planting crops and keeping livestock, but today caring for culture is not just for farmers, but also computer programmers, teachers, cooks, athletes, nurses, politicians, cleaners, and carers – to name but a few.
Christians along with all humanity are to fulfil God’s mandate of cultivating, creating, building and shaping a rich variety of cultures.
His gifts and blessings are bestowed on everyone through ‘common grace’ – which is entirely different from God’s gospel ‘saving grace’.
‘Kingdom culture’ can only come by the Holy Spirit working through his people.
One author describes culture as ‘what we make of the world’.
How we create and cultivate our environment will depend on our values, shaping the way we live in our families, communities, schools and workplaces.
So, how do Christians fit into this caring for culture?
Centuries ago Jeremiah instructed God’s people in Babylon to ‘work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare’.
The Jews were to bless the culture, not oppose it.
Later, Peter described Christians then living under Roman persecution as ‘a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation’ (1 Peter 2) yet urged them to ‘live such good lives among the pagans that... they may see your good deeds and glorify God’.
The early church preached the gospel of grace and truth, and died for it. They were renowned for being counter-cultural in that godless environment, rescuing abandoned babies, caring for the dying, welcoming outcasts and more.
Culture shapes us, and we can shape them.
Christians will oppose influences in society like the blame culture that’s threatening freedom of speech, and the culture of death that leads to thousands of abortions, and the suggestion of physician-assisted suicide for those near the end of life.
CARE is currently working flat-out with MPs and Peers to defeat the upcoming Meacher Bill which would legalise this practice.
The late John Stott wrote, “We should not ask, ‘What is wrong with the world?’ for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather, ‘What has happened to the salt and light?’ Christian salt has no business to remain snugly in elegant little ecclesiastical salt cellars; our place is to be rubbed into the secular community, as salt is rubbed into meat, to stop it going bad.”
Each of us has a part to play, both encouraging the good in our culture and calling out the bad.
May God help us.
First published in the December 2021/January 2022 issue of Direction, Elim’s monthly magazine. Subscribe now to get Direction delivered to your home.
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