Amanda Wells

Do You Change Culture Or Does Culture Change You?

As people of faith, we like to think that we actually impact culture. But the truth is, historically speaking; it's usually the other way around. You've no doubt read the classic quote: Christianity began as a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When it went to Athens, it became a philosophy. When it went to Rome, it became an organization. When it went to Europe, it became a culture. When it came to America, it became a business."

Over and over, it seems Christianity absorbs the surrounding culture, rather than Christianity transforming culture. In order to be more effective, Christians should infiltrate the pillars of society that shape culture. The church has been successful at evangelism but has failed at changing nations which is Kingdom!

People in positions at the top of each pillar of society (religion, family, education, government and law, media, arts/sports, and we could add health business/technology) actually determine what happens on the pillar or area of society, thus, shaping culture. As Christians we have made the mistake of merely focusing on getting people to the religion sphere rather than training and sending believers to infiltrate other spheres so that Kingdom principles can be applied and promoted there.

In the Bible, David was anointed to be King, a secular position even though he was an incredible man of God. Daniel was promoted into a high ranking government position due to his spiritual gift of dream interpretation. Moses, Joseph, Cornelius, the list goes on and on.

In history, the anecdotes may be even clearer than the obvious Biblical examples mentioned above. One of the most profound examples I believe is Constantine and the conversion of the Roman Empire. In 312 at the Battle Milvian Bridge, it is said that Constantine saw a cross and light above the sun with words saying, “By this, conquer!” A year later the Edict of Milain was instituted which decreed the tolerance of Christianity and removed penalties for professing Christianity. Constantine began to promote Christians in high-ranking government positions, supported the church financially, and built a number of extraordinary buildings for them. Many claim this was the beginning of Christendom.

By the conversion of one man in authority on top of the government mountain, God spread Christianity throughout the world. (This is an example of one man effecting society and not a debate on his belief system). We cannot forget the story of Marco Polo, while it may not have been as successful as the opportunity could have been,. His family spread Christianity along a trade route to Asia. Intrigued by their claims of Christianity, Kublai Khan said, "You send me a hundred men skilled in your religion, and I shall be baptized and all my subjects will study Christianity too. There will then be more Christians in the East than in the West…The men remained in China for 17 years, during which time Marco carried out diplomatic missions throughout the empire. Marco claims that he held the position of governor over the large commercial city of Yangzhou. He also claimed to have visited hundreds of Christian churches. These would have been the result of Christianity that had arrived in 635 from Christian merchants along the Silk Road.

When Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by the devil, the devil took him up to a high mountain and showed Him the Kingdoms of this world and said ‘there yours if you worship me’. Satan didn’t show him souls, yet it was the souls of men and women he had gained control over in the garden, why, because if you can gain control of the kingdoms or spheres of influence you automatically get the souls. Just like Kublai Khan told Marco, get me and my kingdom and you get the people. If we can get the culture and the kingdoms that produce the culture we will get the people within them! History proves that there is no greater way for nations to be converted than through leaders in high positions.

John 4 v 5 -7 & 28

Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink." The woman then left her water jar, beside the well, and went back to the village and told everyone, If we take a look at this scripture again you may be surprised! If you look at Jewish history (many historians i.e. Wolff, Haverford, Mich to name a few) tell us that there were two types of legal marriage in that time, one was a cohabite, where they just lived together and had a sexual relationship, in Jewish law this was legal, this was common in lower classes therefore if she had been in this type of relationship Jesus would not have said the 6th man is not your husband because under this law he would have been. The other was where a dowry was involved & marriage through church system. This man must have been a casual relationship.

So perhaps this woman was not as we always believed just the low class scarlet woman. She was near a very Jewish memorial place and a Samaritan woman, which would be most of the reason she was at the well at the time when other women were not there. The other thing is she left her jar, and went to the city and told everyone about her conversation! If she had been a woman from a low class and committing sexual sin, no one would have listened, especially not the men.

Perhaps this woman was more significant than we have believed. Perhaps if we look afresh this woman was significant in the city, perhaps a business woman and therefore was able to have a considerable impact upon the city itself. This woman was the media of the day!! That ‘well’ was the starting place of media influence! (Just another way of looking at scriptures that we perhaps just take for granted because that’s the way it’s always been!!)

Look at the media's effect on culture today and how the church has responded. The media through access and repetition influences culture, and the church rather than try to lure people to it's doors should meet culture at it's JACOB'S WELL, the media (social & mainstream media), and confront it with truth, the church has a responsibility to influence culture.

We sometimes allow the pressure by the media of cultural shifts and analysts to bully us into diluting truth and altering our personal convictions or moral code. We are so afraid that if we state truth as presented in the bible that we will be accused of being extremists, loose our audience or popularity. There needs to be a wind of change in the church's interaction with culture and it begins with each of us in our own sphere of influence.

Remember Acts 17 v 1

Now Paul and Silas traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. Amphipolis was a known trade route from Northern Greece to the East for timber, gold and silver, it was also known for its Art and entertainment. When Paul approached the philosophers at Mars Hill in the city he had plenty of opportunities to speak to the political leadership (usually after he got arrested) and also the business men of the city. We have done a fantastic job at teaching the church through media, TV etc, but perhaps its time for this generation of believers to re-think the balance. The dichotomy of secular vs. Christian markets should not be an issue.

Maybe we need to get to movie making. Become Politian’s, write for secular publishers. Get in the news business. Create video games, record with secular labels. Let our life and work tell the story of your faith. Trust me; there will always be plenty of people to create media for the church. But the rest of us need to pop the bubble, get outside, and change the world.

We are seeing where there is a completely separate industry called "Christian Music" with Christian artists, labels, etc. We have successfully kept the world from hearing our message. We need to engage the world. We can be there as salt and light. "YOU are the message."

Everywhere I go I see people who have filtered their faith through the lens of rock & roll, Hollywood, business, family values, indigenous traditions, media, customs, sports, and more. They live the life they want, and just surround themselves with a customized "lifestyle" edition of the Bible, Christian t-shirts, or the celebrity pastor of the moment. They pick a local church based on "how much it ministers to me," and support whatever is trendy.

Culture has changed them. Their faith is defined only in the context of a greater culture. And the minute a little persecution happens, it's the faith that gets tossed, not the rock & roll, or t-shirt. I'm wondering what would happen to a generation that actually defined culture through the lens of their faith. What if we practiced what we preach and stopped worrying if the clothes we preached in were cool?

What if instead of culture changing us, we actually changed culture?