Sept. 12, 2005 issue
Losing war of the worlds?
By Jim BishopPage:
- 1
- 2
My pastors do their utmost in their Sunday sermons to reach this consummate curmudgeon. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes not.
Jim Bishop is a freelance writer and photographer and a member of Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, Va.
When they do, I’m attentive, communication happens, and I am compelled to respond in some way to their message.
When they don’t, it usually means my antenna is up but tuned to other channels.
The other Sunday, Pastor Ray Hurst hit the proverbial ten-penny finishing nail with a greasy ball peen hammer.
He tackled a topic that won’t win any popularity contests but that sorely needs to be proclaimed from the steepletops: What does it mean to be “in the world but not of it”?
Ray cited studies that revealed Christians’ behavior in certain areas is “either fairly close or nearly identical to those making no profession of faith.”
In other words, in the war of the worlds, many Christians are waving the white flag.
Face it: Few of us want to be thought different from those around us. We’re not interested in being scoffed at or persecuted “for righteousness sake.”
For me, this “in the world” concept is a slippery slope. I work at a Mennonite university, but many of my daily contacts are with the secular media. I don’t want to operate in a vacuum, live in a cocoon or rub shoulders only with like-minded people.
When God created man and woman, he gave them freedom of choice. And we know the bad decision that led to trouble in paradise. We’ve been sniffing about that forbidden fruit ever since the Garden of Eden.
Page:
- 1
- 2
Comment on the article Losing war of the worlds?
Please keep comments civil. MWR editors reserve the right to remove any comment. When posting a comment, you agree to the MWR Comments Policy. Name and comment will be posted; commenters are strongly encouraged to give their full name. Email address is for follow-up only and will not be made public.
Download