Culture, Culture Everywhere And Not A Drop To Drink (or something like that)

Today, we hear the word “culture” quite often.  There’s Western culture, Southern culture, Star Wars culture, Christian culture…culture, culture, culture.  There’s even something going on right now that is termed as a “Culture War.”

*sigh* 

Can’t we all just get along? 

Webster’s defines the word “culture” in a few different ways, but the most basic and intrinsic one I believe is this: 

The act or process of cultivating living material (as bacteria or viruses) in prepared nutrient media; also: a product of such cultivation.

 With the type of news headlines we read about today, it is so tempting for us as Christians to retreat into our own little petri dish of “Christian” prepared nutrient and let the rest of the world burn.  I think by labeling so much of what we do as “Christian” we have done that to some extent.  We’ve created a sort of an ‘us vs. them’ mentality.  Consider…do you listen to “Christian” music or “secular” music? Watch “Christian” television or “secular” television?   

What, exactly, makes music “Christian?”  Does it have to mention Jesus’ name?   Does it have to be a certain tempo, or have so many bible verse mentions?  Would Jesus have listened to it?  

Does He listen to it? 

I don’t know.  Seems to me that there’s just as much ego and me, me, me, in “Christian” music as there is in “secular.” 

I’m picking on the label of “Christian” music, but that’s really not the problem.  It’s just a symptom.  

As I said, it’s really tempting to retreat into our little “Christian” petri dishes and never interact with the outside world.  But if we do that, we can’t affect the world.  In truth, we’re being cowards I think. 

Jesus lived in a very specific type of culture, it was rigid with its rules and traditions and buddy, if you crossed it or broke it you were out of the club.  There was a lot of cruelty and intolerance in His time.  He could have just hung back and cared only about Jewish people and preserving their way of life.  But He didn’t.  See, here’s the thing…Jesus didn’t come to be part of a culture or club.  He didn’t die a terrifying and horrible death so that we could have a membership to a super-duper secret sect that only lets certain people in…people with no tattoos, strange hair styles or funny ideas about infecting the world with Jesus.   

In fact, I’m not sure Jesus would wear a cross around His neck if He were here today. 

Whatever you want to say about Him, Jesus was not a pansy.  He was courageous and brave.  He faced down evil every second of every day while He was here on earth.  Pain was not His way of doing things (that was our choice), but He took it from us and scarred His own body so that we could live.  While He was at the cross, somebody tried to give Him some ease from what was about to come: 

“Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.  They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. And they crucified Him…)” ~ Mark 15:22-24 (NASB.)

From Clarke’s commentary on the Bible: 

“It was a common custom to administer a stupefying potion compounded of sour wine, which is the same as vinegar, from the French vinaigre, frankincense, and myrrh, to condemned persons, to help alleviate their sufferings, or so disturb their intellect that they might not be sensible of them.  The rabbins say that they put a grain of frankincense into a cup of strong wine; and they ground this on Proverbs 31:6, ‘Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,’ i.e. who is condemned to death.  Some person, out of kindness, appears to have administered this to our blessed Lord; but He, as in all other cases, determining to endure the fullness of pain, refused to take what was thus offered to him, choosing to tread the winepress alone.”

Jesus never backed down.  Not even at the last. 

We live in a world that is evil, full of pain, envy, strife, discontentment, disillusionment and hatred.   It has been that way since The Fall.  People didn't understand Jesus (they still don't) and they're not always going to understand us.  They may react in anger, and try to hurt us or call us stupid and accuse us of believing in fairy tales.   In spite of all that, I challenge us all to be brave and be like Him.  Let us not hide our heads and retreat into our “culture”…let’s get out there and open our eyes, open our hearts and let Jesus love this world through us. 

Today, don’t back down. 

“Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.  AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;…” 1 Peter 3:13-15 (NASB)

Much love, 

Shayne