13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Salt is a preservative, and salt makes people thirsty. We are called to extend grace and to display the love of Christ to people, so that He is glorified - I believe this involves engaging the culture. We are also called the "light of the world" - light dispels darkness...and we are called to display the character of Jesus Christ, in our actions, and our words. I believe that the Scriptures teach engagement - building relationships with others so that we can have an impact on them so that they may be saved, and living in a manner in this culture that we are a force for good, as a means of honoring God.
Proverbs 24 has a passage that can challenge us to engage the culture. This is often used as a motivational passage in defending the rights of the unborn, and I believe it can be more broadly applied to our response to moral issues:
11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. 12 If you say, "Surely we did not know this," Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?
This past weekend was rather remarkable, in that it presented to us a contrast between what I can the "entertainment culture" and what we could term an "engagement culture", and the two are not mutually exclusive. On the entertainment side, not only were sports fans treated some really exciting NFL games, with Atlanta breaking a recent playoff drought in dramatic fashion, building a huge lead, then losing it and coming from behind in the final seconds. Or, Baltimore taking Denver to overtime and rendering the Broncos one-and-done with Peyton Manning after their success last year in Tim Tebow's "3:16" game.
Then there were the Golden Globes. I didn't watch a minute, but I enjoyed the running commentary I picked up from Twitter. And, the hits just kept on coming - big stars picking up big prizes, a former President introducing a movie about another former President, and an assortment of celebrities that by and large hold to a different worldview than most of us. You had a child star who received a Lifetime Achievement Award - her rambling speech featured her "coming out"...for being single; and props to her ex-partner and co-parent to her two children - she acknowledged that she had privately come out during the Stone Age. One winner commented backstage that, "I don't want to get married until all gay people can get married." You have a popular musical winner who has recently given birth to a baby whose father she is not married to - that's accepted and celebrated in the Hollywood culture, by the way. So, while following awards shows can be intriguing, we also have to realize that such shows are generally a parade of values that differ from our own. But, again, that's the nature of much of today's entertainment, and we have to be careful that we do not "buy in" to these prevailing philosophies. And, when we apply Christian critical thinking, it may be that the product is not acceptable for us and our families, or that we can use these vehicles as conversation starters in order to present God's absolute truth.
This celebration of entertainment came on the same day as two examples of engagement took place. Fox News reports that in Moscow on Sunday, thousands marched through the city to protest Russia's new law banning Americans from adopting Russian children, a far bigger number than expected in a sign that outrage over the ban has breathed some life into the dispirited anti-Kremlin opposition movement. Some 20,000 turned out on a gray, wintry day. According to Fox, the adoption ban, which opponents argue victimizes children to make a political point, has stoked the anger of the same middle-class, urban professionals who swelled the protest ranks last winter.
In France, according to CNN, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Paris on Sunday decrying the French president's plan to legalize same-sex marriage and adoptions.
They converged near the Eiffel Tower, chanting and waving flags, posters and balloons.
A CNN iReporter shot video and stated, "I do not personally
agree with gay marriage as I am a Christian and believe what the Bible
says about marriage being between one woman and one man for a life
time. He also said, "If your lifestyle doesn't allow you to conceive, there is a reason."
Extending the right to
marry and adopt to same-sex couples was one of President Francois
Hollande's electoral pledges in campaigning last year. France had authorized civil unions back in 1999.
After his win, the
Cabinet approved a draft bill that is expected to go before the National
Assembly and Senate soon. It is likely to be voted on in February or
March. If passed, it would mark the biggest step forward for French gay
rights advocates in more than a decade.
The plan faces stiff opposition from the Roman Catholic Church and social conservatives.
I think that the Golden Globes represent to us an entertainment culture, and we have to be careful that we do not passively consume the messages that some of the stars are sending. The events around the globe - in France and Russia are a great reminder of the potential of engagement - those who turned out really believed they could send a message to their elected leaders. There will be hundreds of thousands on the streets of Washington, DC next Tuesday, as a matter of fact, to support the sanctity of human life and to decry the murder of unborn children on the 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, which opened the floodgates for millions to never have the chance to be born.
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