In Pt. 1, I spoke of what the word Holy means and how important it is to understand its true meaning with regard to the term "Holy War," in order to know why we fight. In Pt. 2 I tried to identify the enemy, the focus of our the Holy War. Now I want to offer a plan.
Friedrich Nietzsche is credited with making the claim in the 19th Century, that God is dead. This he did but, as is so often the case, this statement was taken out of context and has been misrepresented. Here is the context of the statement:
"Whither is God," he cried. "I shall tell you. We have killed him - you and I. All of us are murderers.... God is dead.
God remains dead. And we have killed him...”
Friedrich Nietzsche. The Gay Science (1882), section 126
Friedrich Nietzsche. The Gay Science (1882), section 126
The actual reference comes from a writing of Nietzsche’s indicting the Christian Church in Europe. The intent was to say that Christianity had lost its relevance and power to represent God. Sadly, I am afraid that we, “The Church,” are perilously close to reaching the same point in America, today, if we have not already reached it. Where is our relevance, where is our authority? We live in our isolated worlds surrounded by likeminded, yet equally powerless, Christians. Many attending small groups more interested in filling some soulish void than in representing the God of our faith.
Malcolm X may also have been close to being correct in his indictment of Christianity when he said:
"The only problem with Christianity is that the followers
have never lived up to the teachings of Christ."
Malcolm X, Autobiography of Malcolm X … Malcolm X w/ Alex Haley
Malcolm X, Autobiography of Malcolm X … Malcolm X w/ Alex Haley
While the word "never" may be a bit strong I would have to say that "often not" would be a good fit.
I can hear people saying now,"why is he quoting an apostate philosopher, and a militant Black Muslim?"
Well, let's see, the same thing has been pretty much said recently by Ron Sider in the book:
Scandal Of The Evangelical Conscience:
Why Are Christians Living Just Like The Rest Of The World?
Ronald J.Sider; Baker Books 2005
Sider, for those who do not know, is professor of theology and public policy at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has also been a voice crying in the wilderness to the American church for a few decades with his first book of reknown "Rich Christians In An Age Of Hunger" and others, as well as his forming of Evangelicals for Social Action. While some others like Jim Wallace, have strayed so far off of the biblical reservation that there is not much left of their thought to consider Biblical Christiany, Sider remains committed to a biblical orthodoxy and passionately so.
In "Scandal," Sider makes the claim that, as Christianity Today says, "the movement (Evangelical Christianity), is riddled with hypocrisy and that it's time for a change." CT; April 2005 http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/004/32.70.html)
From sexual hedonism, to racism, Sider sees little difference in the "churched" and "the unchurched." By the way he does not just make these things up, they are based upon serious research and surveys of church folks.
This indicates a lack of holiness, in that we are not set apart unto God. We are like the World in most ways. In fact this is one of my big peeves; that instead of observing Christ's admonition in His prayer to His, and our Father, that we remain in the World, yet not of it, that we have instead removed ourselves from the World, but have it, in us and in abundance.
I believe that this may in some ways be traced back to the Jesus movement of the late 60s and early 70s. What started as a blessing, has become a curse. The Christian revival, especially the Charismatic part of it grew the church quickly and in many ways. Among the by products, however,was the formation of a Christian counter culture. Along with our new, large churches, we also built Christian schools, stores, radio and television stations, record labels, publications and all manner of other venues that allowed us to live our lives seperate from the World.
There was one problem with all of this. We removed the Salt and the Light from the earth. Many actually believed that by separating themselves from the world in a physical sense, they could avoid being influenced by the World. Unfortunately it does not work that way. The Jews made the same mistake in thinking that the promises of God were theirs exclusively (Deuteronomy 9). They became increasingly currupt as they built their own special (physical) nation, and brought judgement upon themselves.
The thinking, among American believers seemed sound, but was doomed to failure from the start if you think about it. As secular humanism raised its ugly head in the middle of the 20th Century, Christians instead of standing and fighting, decided to run. Running was not at the forefront of the thinking, but it is what occurred. The more evil we saw in the educational system, the more we withdrew our kids and our parental influence from the public schools. The more evil we saw in the media, the arts and entertainment, the more we decided to remove our influence and seek our own separate mass communication and entertanment venues. When we could have stood and fought, we decided it was not
worth it.
Each time we removed a child form the public school system, we also removed a potential PTA and/or potential school board member parent from that school or district. Eventually, the PTA and school boards were filled with unchurched and mostly godless people making ever increasingly anti-Christian decisions.
In the university systems of this country we also gave up the fight for professors and programs that involved a biblical world view. And in the media, the arts & entertaiment, struggle we ran. We threw stones, but we threw them as we ran. Today, our kids are watching, reading and listening to the media, and an enterainment industry that we created by default.
While the world sends their brightest and best to learn in the areas of journalism, communication, arts, law, politics and entertainment, the Church sends their brightest and best to bible school to become youth pastors, music directors, and Chrisitan educators who will train the next generation of pastors, music directors and Christian educators. I know of churches that have had young people go from K-12 in their own Christian school, go to a Christian University, return to work in the same church and/or Christian school and now have their own kids completing this cycle for the 2nd or even 3rd generation. Meanwhile the kids down the street are lost going to lost schools, universities, and rasing their kids to be ever increasingly lost. I do not believe it needs to remain this way. I believe we can take back the lost ground.
So how do we get it back, you ask? First and foremost, we pray. We ask forgivness for abandoning the world. We ask for the mercy to be given another chance at reaching the world, and we look for ways that we may enter the fight for those lost in the world.
I believe that Loren Cunningham, founder and president of Youth With
A Mission, was right when he developed his idea of the “7 Mind Molders.” I do not want to get caught up in the number of the so-called “mind molders” but I totally believe that the concept is right on. I also believe, however, that even Loren fell short of his goal by wanting to develop yet another separate Christian university to accomplish his vision. A better aim, in my opinion, would be to continue to develop short term training and equiping models for young people, such as Discipleship Training Schools, and Schools Of Evangelism. These could be used to equip people before sending them into the fray of the world to take part in the Holy War.
We should be identifying gifted Christian youth and preparing them for careers in journalism, law, communicatons, public education, public policy and the arts. Just as we prepare and send people into foreign mission fields, we should take the same care and diligence to send young people into the mission field of American life. They should be sent, equiped spiritually, mentally, and financially.
As we are opreparing these young people let the parents begin the fight by joining the PTA and running for school board positions. At first we can just attend PTA meetings and pray. As we grow in numbers and influence, we can introduce programs, policies and changes that reflect our culture of belief.
As we train and equip the future educators, professors, journalists, producers, etc., we can take back what has been lost.
It will take faith, patience, and determination. I believe it is not an impossible dream. I also believe it is our only hope in reclaiming America and the world. There will be casualties in this war, however, we must not shrink from the fight. It is what God requires of us.
Let us seek to become Holy and to make others Holy as well.
