A sweet article in BGC mag this month. "Taking the Swagger out of Christian cultural influence." I thought this part was most excellent!
But Christian exiles are not pasive. We do not smirk at the misery or the merrymaking of immoral culture. We weep. Or we should. This is my main point: being exiles does not mean being cynical. It does not mean being indifferent or uninvolved. The salt of the earth does not mock rotting meat. Where it can, it saves and seasons. And where it can't, it weeps. And the light of the world does not withdraw saying, "good riddance" to godless darkness. It labors to illuminate. But not dominate. Being Christian exiles in American culture does not end our influence; it takes the swagger out of it. We don't get cranky that our country has been taken away. We don't whine about the triumphs of evil. We are not hardened with anger. We understand. This is not new. This was the way it was in the beginning---Antioch, Corinth. Athens, Rome. The Empire was not just degenerate: it was deadly. For three explosive centuries Christians paid for their Christ-exalting joy with blood. Many still do. More will.
Is that awesome or what?!
2 comments:
AWESOME! I love it! His insight is invaluable.
It makes you want to Praise the Lord even more for His goodness because we are so indifferent to sin, and self-deceived about our own sin and He is soooo longsuffering and extends such grace and mercy to us, His own, each day and each hour for that matter. Especially in America, (i'm throwing up right now Dana you finish this thought now.)
I could listen to Piper NOT make me "feel" good about my self all day! and point to the One who it should be about.
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