Now that the Super Bowl is over, half of the fans are happy and half of the fans are depressed, and a whole lot of people are glad it’s over so life can move on. This, it seems to me, is a pretty good metaphor for the times we live in here in the U.S.
Not only has politics become a savage team sport, but nearly every aspect of life is now being coerced into joining one of the dominant philosophical/political “teams.” There is no middle, no common ground, and no room for discussion. It’s all or nothing, no holds barred. If you agree with the wrong person or the wrong idea—you are off the team. And that doesn’t just make you different. You’re not even simply wrong—you’re more than wrong—you’re evil, and whatever happens to you next is your own fault. This silly “you are in or you are out” world feels like high school cliques on steroids.
The media, for its part, is constantly hectoring us to pick one team or the other. After all, you don’t want to be on the wrong team. If we don’t pick a team, we are considered irrelevant. Now, whether this situation is the fruit of blind hatred or blind loyalty to people or ideas doesn’t matter much to me; I am happy to let sociologists and social media types debate that. No matter why, the result is the same: a world of never-ending conflict and despair.
Now I know that it’s been said there is nothing new under the sun, but this feels new to me, at least at the scale we are seeing now in popular culture. Social media and an instant multi-source news cycle have amplified this situation like never before in history.
As Christians, this situation is not something we can afford to treat as a curiosity or an annoyance. A situation to mutter and complain about with our friends. It is a challenge that needs to be met if we are to fulfill our mission of bringing Jesus to this lost and confused world. So what do we say, when do we say it, and how should we act in a world like this?
Do we pick a team and join in?
No.
Jesus is our king, and his kingdom is our team. We are here as his representatives. I don’t think partisanship has any place in the kingdom of God. Our loyalty is to our king and our king alone. Anything else is idolatry.
As we try to live worthy lives in this fallen world, finding the right voice for this cultural moment is difficult. However, I think Peter gives us a bit of encouraging advice in his second letter. Let me read a bit from the third chapter.
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:13—17 [ESV]
In this passage, doing good and evil is not used in a deeply theological sense. But in the everyday sense of truthfulness and dishonesty, love and cruelty, help or hurt. We are to be zealous for good works. Our good behavior is described as our best defense against slander. It is our behavior that gives weight to our testimony of Jesus.
But being good and hopeful will not in itself be enough. We must also share the reason for the hope that is in us. Silence will not help those who are watching. The why of our behavior needs to be explained. And the sequence in this passage is important. First, we are encouraged to live good lives filled with hope. Then we are to be ready with an answer when anyone asks us about our hope.
I think for most of us, we feel like we are living good lives and behaving ourselves in public. But are we reflecting our eternal hope to the world around us? Does our life reflect hope so clearly that people ask why we have such a powerful hope? Why is it so hard to say things that invite conversation? Is it really the division in the world that is the barrier, or is it something else? Could it be our desire to avoid conflict and stress? Are we so caught up in our own lives that we don’t want to add anyone else’s trouble to our own?
Deb has a thing she does when people ask her, “How are you doing?” “Better than I deserve” is her reply. I’ve watched this many times, amazed at what that unexpected reply does to the conversation. It turns a throwaway greeting into a longer and more human interaction. (Much to the frustration of my boys when they were younger because they wanted to leave the store.) This challenges me as well, because so often when I am out and about, I find myself going out of my way to avoid meaningful interaction. I am out on an errand, and I want to finish, not be slowed down with needless conversation. When I think about how selfish and just plain awful this attitude is, I’m embarrassed. Is my errand more important than the people Jesus died for? I need to stop making excuses and dodging my responsibility to others.
Getting back to our divided and contentious world for a minute. It’s helpful for me to remember that underneath the ideological, political, and class warfare we see everywhere, there are people. Human beings that Jesus died for. If Jesus thought they were worth dying for, shouldn’t they be worth a little of my time and energy, a few inviting words just to see what happens next? What am I doing that is more important than the eternal welfare of other human beings?
When we look at this hopelessly divided world, we think, “What can I do with a mess like this?” Well, that question misses a vital reality. Alone I can’t do much, but together as the body of Christ we can do a lot, a little at a time in a lot of places. Christianity started as a small group of people in the Middle East, and now it has influenced the thinking of much of the world. A little in a lot of places adds up over time.
This week let’s not hide from the world but engage it. Let’s show and tell about the hope that lives within us. Let’s share that hope with a world that has nearly lost all hope.
Have a great week!
