It’s hard to imagine what the world must have looked like in a pro Christian world vs the very anti-Christian modern world we live in. A time when society revolved around the Church seems like a fictional movie to me, especially as I try to picture what it would have been like, in centuries past, without the Godless radical left and their hatred of Biblical morality. Growing up in a theocracy viewing the church and state being in synergy is hard to imagine given today’s freedom of expression society.
It brings to mind Newton's third law: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Like physics, culture’s attitudes shift just like the motion in a pendulum ball. Once enough force propels it downward, through and out the opposite side, the force of gravity hurls it back. Likewise, as free thinking became prevalent in the west in the past couple of centuries, it makes sense to me that a push back, or swing, against God and what He stands for would be the logical outcome. Isn’t that also the main theme throughout the Old Testament? When God gave the Israelites the least little but of autonomy, they gave Him the metaphoric middle finger! Hmmmm… and how did that turn out for them? War, exile, death, slavery and famine just to name a few.
Our culture has gone from conforming to the teachings of Jesus to love and serve God and our fellow man to how can we get more. More belongings, more drugs and booze, more sex, more, more, more, and just 
when you think you have enough, your neighbour gets a bigger car and takes a European river cruise… and we’re off like the hamster… on the wheel again until our last breath. We live to work for our modern slave owners, big corporations and banks. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for private business just as long as the relationships are equitable. Being submissive and subservient, Christians stood by and watched the Sunday sabbath stripped away, and forgot about taking a day, once a week, to worship a creator. Even for the secular, they’re so busy on their treadmill that most of them don't have the opportunity to even have a meal together, any day of the week. Most have little family time of any kind, let alone a meal, often because their teenagers are working or off shopping, accumulating stuff for themselves.
So, back to the pendulum, the right, if we can continue with the left and right analogy, have had it with having sex ideology jammed down their throats, resulting with the pendulum ball now pushing back. It’s become not just acceptable for the left to have their sexual proclivities, abortion and self diagnosed gender identification tolerated, their demand is for approval and flag waiving endorsement and penance for the conquered. It equally comes as no surprise to me that today, as a reaction to the progressives being elected, which in my view was mainly due to their virtue signalling over the past two decades, that all around the world, in the last couple of years, the vast number of governments elected have been more traditional and conservative in nature. Either fiscally and morally or a bit of both. So, where are we now on Newton’s pendulum ball? I would suggest that the “right” side is now swinging back and it’s somewhere in the middle where it’s the most painful for both sides, just before the next trajectory begins, like being the balls that just got “clacked.”
Where am I on this pendulum, for me, growing up in a free society and being what I would consider to be an open-minded Evangelical Catholic, I can not in good conscience force my religious beliefs on others who may disagree. I try to use reason and intellect to engage other’s free will to persuade them of why God’s moral laws make sense… and come to think of it, isn’t that what Jesus taught, and let the consequences fall where they may? That said, there are societal and moral issues that I believe have altered our modern culture for the worse and have spotlighted the narcissistic false trinity of the, "me myself and I", and the prevalent “WIFM” syndrome, “what's in it for me.”
So, how can we evangelize and influence the culture, I believe through evidence in how we live, not like the hypocrites that give Christians a bad name. (Okay, we are all guilty… sorry). I mean through living our faith through our actions as true witnesses. Many Christians go to church on Sunday and talk a good game but other than the Sunday obligation, and chucking in the basket the equivalent to their Tim Horton’s budget, I witness little of walking the talk. I would also sadly suggest that many church goers don’t give much if any time to help the poor, sick, elderly or downtrodden, kind of like the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke's Gospel where you see the guys cross the street to avoid the guy laying there hurt in a pool of blood. I don’t want to sound judgemental because as Paul says, we have all fallen short, but this is gut check time for all of us. I’m sorry but are we living the Gospel or not… yes or no? At judgement, will each of us be on our knees begging saying, sorry about that, or hear the applause and cheers," wooohooo", "Well done my loyal and faithful servant!"
Many people in the church say, I want to serve but I just don’t know how or where. I have asked myself this question many times and I believe that we only need to pray and ask The Holy Spirit to expose or spotlight what it is and/or, put people in our path to help us figure it out. I believe most often though it all comes down to what we're passionate about. Not what we're good at, but what we love to do. I think if we add this in our prayer time to The Holy Spirit, it may become a little bit more obvious of what our talent and gift offering to serve Jesus is. Regardless, I love the Thomas Merton prayer that even if we think we are following God’s will, it still pleases Him. (Full Merton Prayer below)
To summarize, what does radical Christianity look like? I would argue that it’s loving but never surrendering God’s law, forgiving, serving others, especially those less privileged with our abundant blessings, and when we do, offer it in Jesus name. He sacrificed the ultimate insufferable death for us, don’t you think it’s the least we can do for Him in return?
So, what’s the bottom line for me? Well, its this, a large percentage of people are attracted to truth, goodness and the moral compass given to us from God and if we Christians want to attract the “nones,” then we must walk the talk. (nones being those Americans that have no religious affiliation.) Our children, family, neighbours, coworkers and society will judge us by what we do, our fruit, not by what we say. So, what will they witness, faith in action or faith on the couch?
The Merton Prayer
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Blog Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
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