I've been thinking about culture.
I just graduated from a Christian university whos mission statement is Engage the Culture to Change the World. What does it look like for the church to engage the culture? For me, a more fundamental question is what culture do I engage? And what does that look like? I'm way into the Harry Potter books, for example. They're really fun to read and yet wrestle with some very serious issues of good and evil. And the pop culture connects with these books. I have to admit I get disappointed when other Christians shun these books as evil and don't give them the time of day. What an opportunity, I say! The Potter books are taking a wonderfully accurate pulse of much of pop culture today; I think I have a responsibility to have an understanding of this pulse as well. Because before I can engage the culture, I have to understand it. (Of course this brings up the issue of where's the line of particpating in pop culture to understand and help it vs. participating out of lack of Christian discipline...)
The emerging church is all about being relevant to the culture. Maybe a more accurate term would be understanding the culture. Relevence can be a scary word for me sometimes - it has this connotation of doing something just to fit in. Understanding, however, has purpose. I don't read about Harry so I can feel included in the pop craze. I read so I can understand how the culture is thinking and what they are grappling with so I can better engage them.
And I read the books because they're fun.
Posted by brant at June 23, 2004 12:32 PMWell said, Brant!
J.K. Rowling, through the Harry Potter stories has captured the imagination of millions of people across the globe. But why should we as the Church care about that? Indeed, many in the Church bemoan the popularity of these books. But consider that through these stories, she has expounded concepts of good, evil, courage, free will, and sacrificial, saving love. Concepts that are becoming increasingly muddled and confused in our present age. How can one explain propitiation to the typical American teenager today? Well, possibly begin with Lily Potter's loving sacrifice that saved her son, Harry and left on "his very skin" a mark of love that over and over saves his life from the evil Voldemort. It's not an exact explanation, but that's not the point. It's a starting point. A hook. The concept of a loving sacrifice that saves one's life can now be imagined by someone who has read the Harry Potter books. Being able to hold in one's mind such a concept is, I believe, a definitive step toward belief. The Church has an incredible (and very enjoyable, I might add) opportunity to learn more about the audience it would wish to captivate -- through reading the Harry Potter books. Understanding that the culture has an particular understanding of these concepts of good, evil, courage, and sacrificial, life-saving love is the first step to effectively communicating the truth about God's own love for the world.
Posted by: amber at June 23, 2004 02:56 PM