Counter Culture: Strangers


Today, many Christ followers are reeling from the rapid pace of cultural change.  Those of us who are older sometimes think we fell asleep and awakened in a foreign land!

The scriptures offer examples of people who found themselves in similar circumstances.  Among them are Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, young Jewish exiles who lived in Babylonia.  The Babylonian king brought them from their land to his, and trained them to serve in his court.  Despite this, they maintained their identities as members of God's covenant people.

Early Christ followers found themselves in a culture that didn't support their beliefs.  New Testament writers like Peter (1 Peter 1:17) and the writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 11:13), admonished Christ followers to live as exiles and strangers in this world.  They were in the world, but they were citizens of God's eternal kingdom.  They were to live by the values of that kingdom, even when they conflicted with those of their surrounding cultures.

These Christ followers transformed their cultures by creating a counter culture in their churches, and by proclaiming the good news of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today, we can learn from Daniel, and from the New Testament and church history, that we're to live by the values of God's kingdom in the midst of a culture that doesn't support them.  We can't transform our culture through politics, hate, and violence.  Instead, we change it by being faithful to Christ, living by his values, and proclaiming his good news.

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