Culture Wars

I’m a gospel missionary.

My battle is against any culture in the world that isn’t gospel.

My battle is against culture, never against people. People only behave in poor ways because they are immersed in toxic culture.

Toxic behaviours simply cannot sustainably survive in a society where the prevalent culture is gospel.

And children, if growing up in a gospel culture, won’t start behaving badly in the first place. Kids learn to behave in good or poor ways. It’s nurture, not nature.

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What is toxic culture?

The bible groups toxic cultures present in the world into three broad groups. In the book of Revelation, these three cultures are caricatured in very poetic and metaphorical language as the beast, the false prophet and the dragon.

Now get real…

‘The beast’ can be observed in today’s world as far right-wing culture. Think Donald Trump and you’ll get the idea, and also the current incumbent Prime Minister of the UK. This culture is characterised by selfishness, financial greed, sexual impropriety, etc.

‘The false prophet’ can be observed as ideologies falling under the broad term of Boko Haram. These include Al Queda, IS, the Taliban, etc. Please ensure not to include all people who identify as Muslim under this banner, as this would be an horrific error. By ‘the false prophet’, I am describing extremist ideologies which lead people to kill and murder others in the name of religion. I believe ‘false prophet’ cultures include some groups of people in the world who would call themselves Christians.

‘The dragon’ can be observed in oppressive, controlling, military-controlled and despotic-led regimes of the world, commonly found in countries where a communist culture is prevalent. North Korea or Russia would be two modern day examples.

Closer to home

I’ve described above how the three toxic cultures caricatured in the biblical book of Revelation can be observed on a global scale.

It’s crucial to note, however, that these cultures can be present in any scale of society, anywhere in the world.

Any community of people which has a prevalent culture that includes selfishness, financial greed or sexual impropriety has aspects of ‘the beast’ culture within it.

The same is true for any size of community that includes aspects of control or oppression in any way, as opposed to encouragement, positivity and a solid base that enables the community members to grow and thrive throughout their lives. This would be ‘dragon’ culture, in this case.

The answer to toxic culture

Is one simple thing, at any location in the world and any scale of community:

The individual people who comprise a community must believe that the gospel (aka good news) that Jesus shared is true about them.

When a person genuinely believes that they themselves are truly valuable, truly precious, truly worth something; and when they believe there is a higher power (I call this ‘God’ for short) who genuinely desires only the very best for them and will always be there offering the opportunities and necessary support to enable the person to gradually build a better life (I call this God immeasurably loving a person) – then this totally changes a person.

They feel emotionally secure, more relaxed, more hopeful, enjoy greater levels of self esteem and self confidence, etc. And when that happens, they start behaving in kinder, more selfless, better, more considerate ways to other people in their community (the psychological concept of projection – essentially people treat other people according to how they feel about themselves. If you believe you are valuable and totally worthy of love and respect, then you will automatically treat other people that way, too).

How can positive culture-change actually happen?

Simply, people in a community who already believe that the gospel of Jesus is true about themselves, need to tell others in their community who don’t yet believe it’s true about them, that it genuinely is true about them.

It can’t just be lip service though, as that will have no effect at all. The words of good news must go in tandem with kind, selfless, caring actions on the part of the good news barer. Words without corresponding actions are worthless.

“Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?” James 2:14-17 (The Message paraphrase)

Your mission, should you choose to accept it

Is to share the gospel with everyone you meet in your community.

Doing that makes you a gospel missionary.

Just to give you the heads-up, if you choose to accept this mission, some people will absolutely love and adore you for it and think you’re great, whereas others will persecute you and be really mean to you.

Certainly, people won’t sit on the fence. You’ll be a sheep from goat separator, for sure.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12, the bible

Be encouraged

It’s not mission impossible, and as more people in a community ‘get’ the gospel is true about them, then the mission becomes exponentially easier.

This is the ‘snowball’ effect or ‘multiplier’ effect that is seen in any type of societal culture change in history.

Go well…

…to love and serve the Lord.

With love and prayers,

David