Stop trying to change the world.
How’s that for counter-intuitive. Trying to change the world is in our blood. For a church or ministry to have a vision that does not include ‘changing the world’ is unprecedented if not illegal.
But James Hunter argues that it would be good to give it a rest. His new book TO CHANGE THE WORLD is likely to be a game changer, as it gets discussed and trickles down. Hunter is a sociologist who has written a book drawing raves from Tim Keller to Peter Berger to Nicholas Wolterstorff.
He says that, in the first place, we are in no position to change the world. Culture is the kind of power that does not lend itself to direct attempts to change it. It is embedded in institutions and symbols and guarded by gate-keepers and evangelicals are, for the most part, in no position to actually ‘take back the culture.’
What’s more, Hunter says that is actually a very good thing.
He says that because of the way power is widely viewed in our day, talk about ‘redeeming the culture’ or ‘transforming the world’ is largely understood as implying conquest, take-over, or domination. It means ‘our side will defeat your side by coercing everyone to do what we want.’
The church is at its best, he says, not when it joins with Constantine to use political power to rule.
Its at its best when it maintains what he calls ‘faithful presence’ within culture.
Like Israel when it went into exile in Babylon, we are not to try to take it over, nor to withdraw from it, nor yet to get assimilated into it.
We are to be the faithful presence of God’s people in its midst.
We are to seek for its flourishing, as flourishing is understood by God.
How do we offer faithful presence?
It may be that for a time listening will be far more important than speaking.
It may be that acts of shalom and service will do more good than legislation.
It may be that excellence in whatever spheres of work we’re granted will become vehicles of grace.
It may be that humility will speak louder than argumentation.
Ultimately, we’re not the ones in the world-changing business. Our claims otherwise imply that history and humanity can be controlled and managed through human efforts. And–partly because of the law of unintended consequences–those attempts always end up doing more harm than good.
Only God can change the world.
Christianity is not first and foremost about creating values or establishing justice or championing righteous.
It is about the greatest good:
God Himself.
Love this! Thank you.
I suppose it all depends on what is meant by changing or transforming the world. N. T. Wright calls it “setting the world to rights”. Of course, that is what God is doing. When we pray of “kingdom come” and his “will be done” we are praying for him to set the world right–to renew creation. We have a place in that. However, the point is well taken. Words we use do convey images–and it is God who does the transformation. We are to be a people of peace who should transform by a redemptive presence rather than political power plays.
But just to play gadfly, wasn’t the language Jesus and the early Christians use dominantly political and militant? Wasn’t this why Rome viewed Christianity as a threat?
Brilliant thoughts, “It may be that humility will speak louder than argumentation”. I like this alot. Your book John ‘The Life you’ve always wanted’ is one of the few I go back to year after year. Thankyou for your wisdom and humour..it cheers me no end. Regards Simon Gray
Yah! Listening and putting God before all things…an unwavering petition.
When I graduated from high school, my dad asked me what I wanted and I told him the world–so I got a globe. My heart I believe was in the right place with its desire to “make history,” “change the world,” etc. But in the last 10 years I’ve experienced a significant shift in my worldview and it pretty much mirrors what you speak to in this post. My husband and I pastor a faith community and we’ve found its a lot more effective to be a ‘church for a community’ rather than a ‘church in a community.’
Very interesting. I agree with the concept of not coming across too Constantinian. I also concede that “faithful presence” is a wonderful expression of our desires to brings God’s kingdom to earth. However, cannot “faithful presence” include acts that might be considered power plays? How would Hunter include social justice or prophetic confrontation in the framework he is proposing?
Thanks for “trickling down” fantastic ideas and research to those of us who don’t have the knack you have for panning gold out of the overwhelming world of new information. I’m a huge fan of yours.
Terrific work! This is the type of information that should be shared around the web. Shame on the search engines for not positioning this post higher!
depends on where you are coming from and whats happening.there is a time and place for the church to be a lamb and a time and a place for the church to be a lion in its redemptive purpose.But like Ecclesiastes says:
Ecc 7:18 It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes .
Are you on facebook? Could you send that article to the American Family radio?
Speaking as someone from the UK, we have little practical possibility of winning a culture war in any organisational way or any numbers game, at this moment. It leaves two choices when we are challenged, capitulation or prayer. Daniel is a great testimony of what can happen when men stand for God.
I wonder, was the present political engagement of the US church something that stemmed from Francis Schaeffer’s call to the US church in the seventies? If so, do you think he meant the harnessing of party politics in the way that seems to have occurred?
So, with this web site you are not trying to change the world? What world?
The one with the billions of suffering people? Animals besides people? Plants?
What a mess is this thing called Earth unless one accepts that Life was created by the gods for their amusement.
Jesus Lord? Look around. Apparently he’s too busy creating web sites to change … what?
We are little gods and make impressions, expressions, etc. Make perfection and reap perfection. Make love and perhaps make a baby. Baby the baby and perhaps you shall have an adult some day. Perhaps not.
Anything goes!!!
Let’s just hope that it all goes perfectly for everything and everyone all the time in all The Multiverses. Thank Heaven for a multi-dimensional Reality!
Now, back to Krishna….
© 2010 – INFINTIY Stephen Francis Felicetti
Billy Graham used to say that we change the world one life at a time. In the end, we are called to share the love of Christ- which changes the world (not us- but the Spirit using the Gospel). Thanks for your wonderful, and thoughtful work.