“
And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.”
MARK 6:34
We are entering a new age and culture of debates framed largely to appease emotion rather than factual rebuttals. “A culture defined by polarization and tribalism amplified by new technology and online platforms,” wrote Ed Stetzer in Christianity Today¹. The Church is struggling to make sense of how to live, follow Christ, and witness. This age blurs the borders between truth and lies, honesty and dishonesty, fiction and nonfiction. Due to innovation and advancement, Christianity seems to engage a world that no longer exists. Religion has become ‘fake news’ and Christians the victim; not just sinners saved by grace through faith. We talk about what we feel and discard what we fundamentally believe in our hearts. What drove Jesus to tears and compassion drives believers and others to victimization. Surely God didn’t design his gospel truth to be confined or restrained by how we feel or see.
“Where Is The Love?” is a song by The Black Eyed Peas that sums up the condition of the world today. It makes one wonder whether we have guarded our lives, families and churches from truly being affected by God’s word in a world of urgent spiritual and physical needs singing:
“
…I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm getting older, y'all people gets colder
Most of us only care about money-makin'
Selfishness got us followin' the wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Whatever happened to the values of humanity?
Whatever happened to fairness and equality?
Instead of spreadin' love we spreadin' animosity
Lack of understandin' leading us away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
It's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive 'til love is found..."
In his book, Something Needs to Change², David Platt writes that “we need an experience with the word in the world that penetrates the recesses of our hearts… ask God to do a work deep within us that we could never manufacture, manipulate or make happen on our own.” The world is ready to witness the impact of a redeemed people – not victims.
¹ Stetzer, Ed. “Why I Wrote ‘Christians in an Age of Outrage’.” Christianity Today, 2 October 2018, christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/october/why-i-wrote-christians-in-age-of-outrage-ed-stetzer.html. Accessed 5 February 2020.
² Platt, David. Something Needs to Change: A Call to Make Your Life Count in a World of Urgent Need. Multnomah Books, 2019.