Crisis, Non-Sectarian Style?

To many Americans, Christians complaining about our culture sound whiny, self-interested, and sectarian. We yell, “Fire! Cultural conflagration!” Our unbelieving neighbors sniff and wonder why they can’t smell smoke. To their ears, our critiques of culture take this form: Christians used to be in charge; we aren’t anymore; we’d like to be again; if you don’t want us to be in charge, you don’t know what’s good for you, because it is good for everyone if we’re in charge.

And that looks for all the world like a naked power play.

Christian analysis runs deeper than that, and Christians shouldn’t be overly worried if no one listens. Being ignored puts us in the good company of Israel’s prophets: with Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, John, and Jesus. Yet some self-diagnosis is warranted. Is our message failing because it’s offensive or because we’re doing it badly? We need to ponder how we might express our anxieties about the world in ways that resonate in the wider culture. Can we convince unbelievers that we are heading to a precipice?

I think the answer is yes.

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