Countercultural, but Not Counter Culture
Jesus was countercultural but not counter culture. His teachings flipped the script on all that society values – rich is poor, strong is weak, and greatest is least. His priorities contradicted everything the world craves – popularity, power, and prosperity. Christ chose homelessness, loved enemies, defended the oppressed, marched undaunted toward persecution, remained silent when accused, and forgave His murderers. No one has ever spoken or lived more counterculturally. Yet no one has ever shown more care and concern for the people He encountered.
Jesus’ words and actions, if conveyed literally and imitated fearlessly, would be considered just as radical in America today as they were in Israel then. However, surveys show most see Christians and churches not as countercultural but counter culture. Americans find it difficult to distinguish between their Christian and non-Christian neighbors, at least not in ways that intrigue or endear. Scripture calls us to be transformed in our thinking but not conformed in our behaviors. Yet believers seem less radical in their lifestyles and more vocal in their personal opinions than Jesus. He did and said only what He heard from the Father. Can the same be said of the typical Christ-follower today?
Our culture demands conformance to its ideals – tolerance and acceptance of each person’s unmitigated pursuit of happiness. We have an unprecedented opportunity to contrast that myopic, self-centered world view with the enduring hope of Christ-centered living. Imagine the shock and awe of watching millions of countercultural “rebels” walk away from popularity, power, and prosperity – choosing compassion over condemnation. There may be no better opportunity in our lifetimes than this divisive Presidential election season to shine the brightest light when our culture appears darkest.
How would the public perception of Christians change if we practiced what Jesus modeled? The Gospel offends, but we don’t need to be offensive. We shouldn’t counter culture by attempting to impose God’s moral standards, particularly if we don’t live by them. Until they believe in the Lawgiver, we shouldn’t expect them to follow His laws. What would be more effective is countercultural prayer, care and share to illuminate the shallowness of living for the dot (now), not the line (eternity).
Biblical Counterculturalism
True disciples follow in the footsteps of Jesus. To diagnose the illness (being counter culture) and prescribe a cure (being countercultural) for churches and Christians, we look to Jesus. He understood but broke from cultural norms and told His disciples to do likewise:
- He loves those who hate Him
- He serves, expecting nothing in return
- He associates Himself, a King, with the poor
- He said those suffering (for His sake) are fortunate
- He sees humility and mercy as signs of strength
- He said heaven isn’t for the “mature”, but for those with the faith of a child
- He ranks servants at the top of the social structure
- He said feelings for our families should pale by comparison to our love for God
- He views confessing crimes as the path to freedom (from spiritual prison)
- He said when we leave everything behind (to follow Jesus) we gain everything
- He pursues “sinners”, not the self-proclaimed “righteous” or “religious”
- He said wealth can be a curse rather than evidence of God’s blessing
- He loves Hs children unconditionally, but demands unconditional obedience
Biblical shouldn’t equate to radical. However, taking those principles seriously would be culture shock for a post-Christian America that long ago passed the Ages of Commerce, Affluence, and Intellect that mark the evolution and fall of empires – and has entered the Age of Decadence.
Conventional Culture
Life doesn’t work without Jesus. As countercultural and irrational as His words and example may appear, the alternative eventually leads to hopelessness and chaos:
- Preserving the freedom of one group (e.g. non-believers) unavoidably decimates the rights of other groups (e.g. Christians)
- Ignoring and denying life after death is convenient until disaster strikes
- Teaching kids they’re cosmic accidents produces exactly the response we would expect and now observe with our youth today
- Believing mankind is inherently good leads to disappointment because the sinfulness of human nature inevitably prevails
- Inventing personal “truth” ends in disillusionment when those fallacies prove untrue
- Being “my authentic self” has no foundation, morphing to align with cultural norms because our intended identity is as a child of God
- That identity crisis results in projecting façades on social media and escaping reality via VR, avatars, and substance abuse
- Secular humanism touts mankind’s wisdom yet rejects science to justify immorality (e.g. gender designations by doctors, heartbeats of preborn infants)
- Tolerance, secular society’s highest virtue, is intolerant of those who don’t share progressive views
- Advertisers promise their products will bring fulfillment when their ulterior motive is money
- Politicians pledge to protect the oppressed but know the path to ultimate power lies in dividing citizens to control both “oppressors” and “oppressed”
- Government positions itself as savior to direct attention away from our Savior, offering financial and medical life-preservers to foster dependence
Society draws wrong conclusions by passing decisions through a filter based on faulty assumptions. No logical outcomes can emerge from a belief that there’s no God or He’s not good (or that mankind is god or good). Those who don’t know where they came from or where they’re going aren’t sure how to get there. Only Christians know the end of the story because we’ve read the last chapter of the Book.
Are We More Countercultural or Counter Culture?
Are churches and Christians conforming to conventional culture or biblical counterculturalism? In other words, are we influencing culture more than we’re influenced by it? Obeying Jesus’ command to drop the stone, in today’s context, means:
- Rendering to Caesar what is Caesar’s, not politicizing to the point of polarizing
- Spending time with those who don’t know Jesus, not just like-minded people
- Loving those across the political aisle unconditionally, as our Father loves us
- Serving the (materially) poor in ways that actually alleviate poverty
- Being blessed to be a blessing to others, not to hoard or withhold
- Giving generously to help millions of persecuted brothers and sisters overseas
- Building disciples (to equip and send) not just churches (to attract and retain)
- Producing childlike faith in adults, not entertaining children to engage adults
- Confronting sin in the church, not judging those outside as Paul commanded
- Bringing up repentance, surrender, sanctification, and dying to self on Sundays
- Cultivating the fruits of the Spirit rather than checking spiritual boxes
- Winning the culture war through a ground campaign of compassion, not an air assault dropping verbal bombs
- Leaning on Scripture, not the world’s instruction, as the blueprint for living
- Forgiving those who offend us because Jesus graciously forgave our offenses
- Being different without being distant, seeing our “enemies” as God sees them
Countercultural, but not counter culture, means awakening society to the truth of Jesus through humility, love, evangelism, and compassion – not accusations and condemnation. Non-believers will recognize their sin and need for forgiveness when we shine the bright light of Christ’s righteousness. Churches and Christians dim that light, revealing our hypocrisy and not His holiness, when we compromise to look more like the world and less like Jesus. The 2024 Presidential election is the perfect chance to Drop The Stone, providing a glimmer of authentic hope to those (mis)placing their hope in parties, politicians, and policies.
It’s Your Turn…
Visit Drop The Stone’s website and Facebook page. Perform an act of kindness for someone across the political aisle. Then post your story on your favorite social media channel with the hashtag #DropMyStone and challenge 5 friends to pay your kindness forward.
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