I take a lot of 'heat' for my determination to be relevant with today's post-modern culture.
You see, I'm not a big fan of 'religious disassociation'. Shouting from a street corner or waring Bible arguments on a T-shirt don't get it for me.
I'll confess, there was a young, zeal-filled day that I was there, so it is safe to say, "Been there, done that!" Funny thing, I'm still looking for the fruit from that branch of desperate, distant reach.
I believe the gospel's answer is somewhere inside of a relational 'critical mass', hot with grace and filled with friction's conversational truth. To be totally honest, I tend to like the marketplace and today's cultural people living in it with me. Guess what, Jesus does too.
The gospel's positive friction is found when we embrace a life of "critical mass".
Critical Mass (noun); (1) Physics, the amount of a given fissionable material necessary to sustain a chain reaction at a constant rate. (2) An amount necessary or sufficient to have a significant effect or to achieve a result: a critical mass of popular support.
Have you ever played pyromaniac with your kids?
You know, "don't play with matches kids", and yet you light the candle on the backyard patio table and run your finger through it to show off. They're amazed and you're entertained with your hypocritical stage show.
After the amusement wears off they get around to asking, "Dad, how did you do that?"
You laugh and explain the secret; "Girls, it's not really hot unless I place my finger in the middle of the flame, near the blue portion and keep it there for a period of time, that's when it gets hot." There's no risk of heat when you run past the flame!
As I deal with cultural issues each day, I'm amazed at the number of Christians who simply want to run their finger past this culture and not engaged with a sincere relationship.
Today, more than ever, the risks of sin's results are higher and heavier than ever before. We live in a generation that is seeking, speaking and soaking in spiritual 'things', as well as answers.
"I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the devastated, the demoralized - whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ - but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view."
"I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I need into a God-saved life. I did this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it." (1 Corinthians 9: 19-23)
I personally believe the church is re-awakening to the missional "love deeds" of the gospel, a move of something more than resting upon our determined creeds and shouting from a distance.
When we are determined to 'place ourselves' inside of the friction, (and you'll take some heat, believe me it's hot in here), the critical mass of today's post-modern culture, and love them for the good of the Message we begin to make a real difference, not just an intimidated difference.
When it's hot, I mean close proximity laced with great respect and love, it burns everything that is not desired. For the ragamuffin in the marketplace, and for the ragamuffin walking in faith through Graceland. When it is loving, relational and committed to critical mass fusion, a crucible is produced.
Let me encourage you to love people, every person. Remove your distance, take off the T-shirts and communicate. Drop your signs of sloganized insults and grab a neck for the purpose of God's great grace for mankind.
