Kingdom Culture

Culture shock need not apply only to the contrast between traditions, values and religions in different countries.

This morning I experienced the vast dichotomy between two completely different cultures.  But I didn't even have to get in a plane to do so.  I simply turned on the car. 

The song was called Beloved.  The melody was sung by a smooth tenor over open guitar chords, and not much else.  Often truth dresses itself in simplicity. 

Derek Webb has written a beautiful song from Christ to His Church:

Beloved listen to me
Don’t believe all that you see
And don’t you ever let anyone tell you
That there’s anything that you need
But me

The words I heard a few minutes later on the radio were equally exclusive:

Let's go all the way tonight
No regrets, just love
We can dance until we die
You and I
We'll be young forever

Talk about two completely different sets of values! 

I'm not sure if I've ever heard a better summary of what our pop culture promotes than what this second set of lyrics delivers.  If we're coming at this from a Christian perspective we could begin to point out all the differences between what we believe and what our culture believes.  It's an important discussion to have.

Because if we're followers of Jesus we live in both worlds.  It won't do to physically separate ourselves from the rest of the world as if it were as easy as flying to another continent.  Instead, we've been called to "be transformed".  Not transported.  We're to "be transformed by the renewing of our minds."

I would suggest that prayer is the best place to start.  As Jesus commanded us to pray:

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.