I went to a restaurant normally I would not patronize because my family refuses to eat there. They have good food even though it will not make the Health Departments "hit list" for the cleanest restaurant in the county, but they have good food so I went.
Before going I stopped by the local "Christian Gifts and Trinkets" outlet and purchased a copy of one of my favorite magazines to read while eating dinner alone.
Sitting down I flipped open Relevant Magazine. On the inside cover there were three splashy words...Engage Pop Culture.
It was an advertisement for Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
There were two words in smaller block print that caught my attention...
Holy Worldliness
Underneath the words was a brief paragraph...
Should you reject popular culture or embrace it?
Consider Calvin's alternative: Holy Worldliness.
Using the lens of our Christian faith, Calvin helps
students piece together the positives and negatives
of popular culture-to be in the world, but not of it.
It's a bold path, but we accept the challenge.
That is an amazing paragraph whether you agree with it or not. It is a provocative way of looking at the world in a time of incredible change and upheaval.
To be sure there are people who fully embrace this paragraph and there are those that would cite a paragraph like this as evidence that the church is on a "slippery slope" from which there is little chance of catching ourselves.
Now, I could have avoided all of this by not eating at the restaurant, not purchasing a magazine and just staying home. But that doesn't negate the realities around me.
Holy Worldliness
All of this has caused me to think.There is a culture that needs redeeming for His Kingdom's sake, and "using the lens of our Christian Faith" is the place to start. I am keeping my eyes open to see "Holy Worldliness" opportunities today. I think Calvin College may be on to something as they seek to Engage Pop Culture.
What do you think?
2 comments:
At first glance the term "Holy Worldliness" appears to be a bit of an oxymoron. How can one both worldly and holy? But, then again, is there any other kind of holiness to live in this life. We are all "in-the-world". You can't easily escape that fact. Isn't living to share the fruits of holiness... a huge part of holiness by definition? What if we keeping practicing in order to be become better at it? Face it...the world is our practice field and tryouts have already begun. Get in the game. I'd rather go out swinging than just standing there watching the ball go by!
I am a firm believer in using the "lens of our Christian Faith" to not negate or reject popular culture, but rather to minister to it?
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