10Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.11And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.12The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
In verse 14, he instructs us to "put on" the Lord Jesus Christ.
This passage of Scripture points to the power of the love of Christ, and how that love can be impact the culture in a profound way. Verse 12 tells us to put on the armor of light, which can not only insulate us from the devices of the enemy, but the light of Christ, shining from the hearts of believers in Him, can influence our society. We are not called to be isolated, but to seek to integrate our faith into a world that so desperately needs hope.
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We are called into a relationship with Jesus Christ, and He desires to use us to be people of influence to the world around us. He encourages us in Matthew chapter 5:
14You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.15Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Over the past couple of weeks on The Meeting House program, I have been working through what I have termed the "Top 10 Topics of 2014," incorporating highlights from various guests on the program. I have completed my summary of those topics, which will be printed in River Region's Journey magazine in the February edition. Here is the summary:
10 – Demise of large, multi-site church sends strong message
The end of 2014 meant the end of the network of churches known as Mars Hill Church. Pastor Mark Driscoll had faced criticism for some time regarding his style of preaching and leadership, and during the year, more allegations concerning the church and its pastor were leveled. Driscoll announced his resignation in October.
9 – Religious freedom challenged in the corporate setting
Throughout the year, the ability to exercise one’s faith in the conduct of his or her business came under increased opposition. Across the country, people in a variety of professions dealing with marriage faced punishments of various forms because they did not wish to participate in same-sex wedding ceremonies. A resort in New York state was fined. A photographer in New Mexico did not receive relief from the U.S. Supreme Court. The Benham Brothers found that their proposed HGTV show was cancelled, presumably due to their outspoken Christian faith.
8 – Islamic State brings increased threats to Christians
The rise of ISIS, or Islamic State, presented a real challenge to political leaders around the world, and their extermination of Christians in Iraq was especially troubling. For example, the city of Mosul, with its rich Christian history, was a city whose Christian influence was under siege.
7 – Sudanese woman facing death penalty is released
Sudanese woman Meriam Ibrahim faced the death penalty and refused to renounce her Christian faith when pressured. Eventually, international concern resulted in Meriam’s release and relocation to the United States.
6 – Houston passes gay- and transgender-friendly ordinance, pastors’ communication subpoenaed
The city council in Houston, Texas, passed a so-called equal rights ordinance, which provided special rights for homosexual and transgendered individuals. Apparently, citizens had gathered enough signatures in a petition drive to place the ordinance on a ballot for a vote, but Houston’s lesbian mayor disagreed. As the city prepared to go to court, the mayor issued subpoenas to 5 local pastors for various forms of communication, setting off expressions of concern. The mayor eventually withdrew the subpoenas.
5 – Biblically-based movies bring strong box office presence
There was great anticipation going into 2014 about movies either based on Biblical stories or presenting a faith-based perspective. Three films released during the year are now in the top 7 in the Christian genre, according to Box Office Mojo: Heaven is for Real (5), God’s Not Dead (6), and Son of God (7). Also, mainstream directors crafted films based on the stories of Noah and Moses, with mixed reception by Christians.
4 – Supreme Court sides with Hobby Lobby, Conestoga in contraceptive mandate case
The government mandate that employers provide, in their health care plans, free contraception and drugs that could cause abortion came under scrutiny before the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court ruled that closely-held (e.g. family-owned), for-profit corporations, such as Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties, did not have to comply.
3 – Health care workers contract Ebola, Christians address concerns
The spread of Ebola became a worldwide health concern during 2014. Two Christian health care workers, one with Samaritan’s Purse, the other with SIM (Serving in Mission), whose organizations are attempting to battle the deadly virus in Africa, were brought home for treatment after contracting Ebola.
2 – Ferguson conflict brings opportunity to discuss racial issues
The shooting death of an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Missouri, by a police officer set off riots in that suburb of St. Louis and provoked a national conversation on matters of race. Churches in the Ferguson area became directly involved in trying to provide peace and understanding. When a grand jury did not indict the Ferguson officer, unrest spread across the country, giving Christians the opportunity to promote racial reconciliation.
1 – Marriage amendments fall, Supreme Court appearance more likely
After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a portion of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act in 2013, it opened the door for judges to begin taking aim at state marriage amendments. Across the country, individual judges and several circuit appeals courts ruled such amendments were unconstitutional, but the high court decided not to take up any of the cases. After that, a Federal appeals court upheld the constitutionality of state amendments in its circuit, which could open the door to the Supreme Court looking at the issue in 2015.
In considering this list, it is inspiring to see how our faith can be active and influential in a number of areas. I think that a key word in analyzing these stories is health.
For instance, the Mars Hill situation, as well as other leadership failures during the year, can demonstrate for us the importance of good church health - a devotion to Christ, and leadership that is accountable to the congregation.
A healthy view of religious freedom is very important, and we saw areas in 2014 where that was lacking - the threats to businesses who do not embrace a lifestyle that is contradictory to their values, a city that is insensitive to the religious freedom rights of citizens, including pastors, and the presence of this contraceptive mandate in the health care law that violates the rights of companies all indicate some unhealthy trends in that area.
And, the continuation of religious persecution at the hands of ISIS, the Sudanese government, or other entities around the world is an unhealthy trend.
We also need healthy conversations in the area of race. There is mistrust and misunderstanding between groups of people, and the church can be at the forefront of bringing peace and harmonious relationships.
And, of course, the importance of the church being involved in areas of physical health was underscored by attention that has been devoted by Christians to fighting the deadly Ebola virus.
The top story reminds us that the health of the institution of marriage is in trouble. And, I would contend that for Christians, the redefinition of marriage is a concern, but also divorce, cohabitation, and unhealthy patterns in our homes, such as pornography, can all be factors in an erosion of marriage as God has ordained it.
Phil writes:
Let's talk a moment about what's ahead. There's an excellent piece by Christian filmmaker and commentator Phil Cooke on The Huffington Post website called, In 2015, Christianity May Be Making a Comeback. He begins by referring to that Pew Research study showing that the majority of Americans surveyed believe in 4 elements of the Christmas story, with almost two-thirds believing in all 4. (These findings were incorporated into this blog post.)
Phil writes:
In all honesty, the Church hasn't been losing it's voice, it's been giving it away. As a result, they've lost remarkable influence in the culture. It's a tragedy, because since the founding of this country, Christianity has been a powerful engine behind social service outreaches, educational institutions, hospitals and more.He says, "So while the majority of the population still professes religious belief, will Christianity ever regain it's influence in the culture? I believe it can, and there are plenty of signposts..."
According to Cooke, those signposts include:
- Vibrant churches are growing in major urban centers around the United States.
- A new generation of talented writers, filmmakers, musicians, and other artists are unapologetic about their faith.
- Episodic television programs like Mark Burnett and Roma Downey'sThe Bible series broke audience records in the United States.
- The first Ebola cases to be treated on American soil were Dr. Kent Brantly and his assistant Nancy Writebol.
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