Why would anyone care what I think? That’s actually a pretty good question. Blogs are a “dime a dozen” these days. Not only does everyone have an opinion, but people have come to believe that the world would somehow be a lesser place if their opinions weren’t published. This may be a function of our “me-centered” culture; a world of social media, selfies, and the continuing quest for self-realization (whatever that means). Or maybe it’s just because we like to hear ourselves talk.
Why would anyone care what I think? Frankly, you shouldn’t. And if you are a real, professing follower of Jesus Christ, you really shouldn’t – at least, not if what I have to say is just a matter of personal opinion.
But I don’t want this blog to be a venue for spewing the truth according to Dan. Rather, I want to challenge Christians (as well as those who are truly interested in how Christians think) to see what it looks like to view our culture through the lens of Scripture.
In these entries, I plan on looking at what is happening in our world, and particularly, what is happening in our country, and evaluating that in light of God’s Word. I have called this blog A View from the Margins. The name comes from 1 Peter 1:1 where Peter calls believers elect exiles. Peter was writing to believers in Jesus Christ who were just beginning to experience suffering and oppression for their faith. This had not yet risen to the level of organized persecution or martyrdom, but Christians were facing hardship politically, economically, and socially as a result of their commitment to Jesus Christ. They were being pushed out onto the margins of their society.
You don’t need to be a prophet to see that very same situation happening in our day. The era of the “moral majority” has long passed. The church has lost her prophetic voice in the culture, primarily as a result of accommodating and adapting to the culture. As a result, the church is, by and large, seen as irrelevant. Many try to soothe themselves with the thought that America is still a Christian nation. But if it ever was, it certainly isn’t true anymore.
This doesn’t mean that we as Christians need to be overly pessimistic, shifting into some isolationist position where we build walls around ourselves in the church (whether literally or figuratively) and huddle together away from the world. Instead, I believe the current state of affairs in our country should give us great reason for hope and optimism. The church has always thrived on the margins. It is only when we have been culturally normalized that we have lost influence. Perhaps the best thing that could happen to the church of Jesus Christ is the dismantling of the “Bible-belt” and the final eradication of cultural Christianity. Perhaps, in the midst of growing anti-Christian sentiment in our country, we Christians should be anticipating a true revival of the church and not simply a reawakening of our nation.
In the days and weeks to come, I plan on looking at current events and cultural trends from a biblical worldview. We want to determine, not what our favorite political commentator has to say about things, but what God has to say in His Word. Occasionally, I’ll post items of interest that may go beyond cultural commentary. Periodically, I’ll post something I’ll be calling This and That, which will include links to articles or blog posts that I find interesting or believe will be beneficial for the reader. But by and large, A View from the Margins will be an opportunity for us as gospel-centered Christians to look biblically and intelligently at our world.
My prayer is that these thoughts will be both challenging and encouraging.
May the Lord Jesus Christ receive all of the glory!