Post-modern Gospel???

So I've been thinking a lot about the gospel, and more recently I have been thinking about how this relates to culture, more specifically modern and post-modern culture.

I was taught recently, and I believe it to be true, that every culture has 3 parts. 1.) that which Christianity affirms, 2.) that which only Christianity can truly fulfill, 3.) that which Christianity much reject or deny.

The second, and third part is what interests me. What is it in culture that the Gospel fulfills? -or- What in the culture is the Gospel??? Then what in the culture must we oppose???

As I think (with my limited understanding of) about the difference between modernism and post-modernism I see a dividing issue, or a balance between two ideas. Truth, and Relationship.

Modernism : places "truth", head knowledge, absolutes, science as the highest value and minimizes relationship and community.
3.) we obviously reject the minimalization of relationship
2.) Modernism pursues truth as its highest goal, but in reality it can never attain it because truth separated from relationship and community is not truth at all. Therefore only Christianity can fulfill this part of modernism.

**So how do you reach this culture. Like any other culture you learn to speak their language, which is "truth", head knowledge, academics, logic, absolutes. And through this medium you expose the fallacy of the culture and introduce relationship based truth. We never separate the two, but present it as one whole.

Post-Modernism : places relationship, community, friendship,experience, emotions, feelings, personalization as the highest value and minimizes and even rejects "truth", absolutes, science logic.
3.) We obviously reject the minimalization of "truth, absolutes, science and logic
2.) Post-Modernism pursues relationship and emotions as its highest goal, but in reality it to can never attain it because relationship/community separated from truth is not relationship/community at all. Again only Christianity can fulfill this part of post-modernism.

**So how do you reach this culture. Again you learn to speak its language, which is experience, relationship, emotions. Then through this medium you expose the fallacy of the culture and introduce truth based relationship. Again we never separate the two we live and present them as one whole.

The reality is that the two cannot not be separated from each other, they are two sides of the same coin. One defines the other, and both are only true when they exist together. My point is that when it comes to culture we must understand which door to enter, or which side of the coin to expose. Because when we hand them the coin the may see the side they recognize but in reality they are getting the whole coin, The GOSPEL...........

Stolen

Ok last night, something happened while I was sleeping. I guess during the early morning some guys decided to break into my car and................. "borrow" a few things lol Bascially they took my cd player, and all the audio equipment that was in my trunk. In all they probablly took between 1500 and $2,000 worth of equipment, as well as leaving a destroyed lock mechanizm on the passenger side.

But here is the strange part......my reaction. I got up in the early a.m. to go for a morning run. I was all suited up in several layers of thermals, considering that it was 30 degrees out. And when I was stretching I looked over at my car and noticed that the trunk was open. I thought "hum thats strange". But as I walked closer to the car I felt a release. It was freeing experience. But wait thats not right.....

Those stupid punks, who do they think they are, breaking into my car and takeing my stuff, that I enjoy so much, that I had worked so many hours to purchase and put so much time into installing and maintaining. And most likely they are going to sell it and blow it on something stupid. This is so wrong. But it was just so strange that none of this was on my mind, none of this was in my heart.

Some how I didn't feel hatred, revenge, or even anger towards these guys. I actually feel compassion because of this experience with the brokeness of this world. These guys are absolutely broken and they dont even know it. I just wish that I could do something more for them............ I just dont now what.

And as I mentioned earlier, I felt in some way "freed". As Travis Keller mentioned in his recent blog, that we allow so many things to drive a wedge between us and others. I know that historically, this stuff has driven a wedge between me and others, it was been a crutch for me, a way to make friends, a way for me to build and establish my reputation, a way for me to define myself. But no more, its gone!! And with it goes one more distraction from the things in life that really matter. One more material thing that was distracting me from becoming. I can breathe a little deeper because this burden has been taken off my shoulders. I'm free. (I actually have a trunk now lol)

Right now I am just absolutey floored. Three years ago I would have flipped out! I would have called the police and would have plotted how I could catch these guys and give them what they deserve!!! Oh but to think of how far my savior has brought me. Its all him, there is nothing in me that would elicit such a Christ like response. Oh what joy... that the gospel is not just a free ticket to heaven, but it is alive today. Salvation is not just from hell, but salvation is alive in the here and now. We can be saved from sin, and transformed into something so much more, right here, right now. He came not just to get us to heaven, but to restore us to wholeness. How beautiful the gospel is! How beautiful our Savior is!

Cost of the Gospel - Forgiveness

As I have been meditating on this idea of the gospel, I continually come back to this theme of brokeness. As followers of Christ, or as His body, we enter in the lives of others, both followers and non-followers alike. But in doing so we are entering into filth, muck....brokeness. And when we are here it is only natural that we are going to be hurt or broken ourselves. But then again thats kindof the point, isnt it? We have been restored and made whole because Christ entered into our brokeness, took it on His shoulders, tramples it under foot, and offered wholeness and life. Therefore we can enter into the broken lives of others and take their brokeness on ourselves, while offereing the possiblity to be whole, clean, good. So I guess that in a sense we are like conduits that channel the brokeness of the world onto Christ who defeats it and offers wholeness, and life instead.

Now that sounds all nice and dandy, but the reality is we are allowing ourselves to be broken, hurt, defilied, even killed, while instead offering beauty, wholness, agape. This is the high cost of discipleship.

And we wonder why forgiveness or the lack there of is such a huge deal in scripture. "if you forgive the sins of others then your father will forgive yours, but if you do not forgive the sins of others, then He will not forgive yours." Forgiveness seems to be a defining characteristic in the life of and disciple. So this is my definition of Forgiveness: willingly absorbing the brokeness of another, and in return offering wholeness, life and agape.

In the very act of forgiveness I am offer salvation to another. Is this wrong, or going to far. Think about it. We are Christ's body, and those who are broken (aka everyone) cannot restore or heal themselves. Then the only way they can find restoration is for another who is not broken to enter their lives, take their brokeness on themselves and offering restoration instead. So when I forgive I am offering the very salvation of Christ. (believers and non-believers alike James 5, "confess your sins to each other to be healed" ) Thats the Gospel.

At this point my mind naturally goes to the movie "End of the Spear". The five missionaries in this movie we dedicated to reaching this remote tribe with the gospel. Now this tribe was absolutely broken, with the most noteable aspect of brokeness being that of violence, revenge, and death. So these missionaries Knowingly, Willingly, submit themselves to the brokeness of this tribe. I'll never forget the scene where the missionaries had just been speared and lay dieing on the ground. The indians hovered over the dieing bodies of the missionaries, and when they peered into their faces they saw someting different, they saw, peace, forgiveness, friendship. In that moment they where pierced to the core, because they had just encountered the kingdom of God, they had just experienced the gospel. Remember their faces and their composure. From this point on they are tortured, and eventually every one of them comes to Christ. What a beautiful picture of the gospel, forgivness, and the bearing of brokeness.
But what a high cost the missionaries paid! Are we willing to do the same?