The flip-flop of the breast cancer awareness and treatment organization called Susan G. Komen for the Cure is another all-to-clear sign of the cultural impotence of our present Christianity. Basically, this group made a good decision to get out of bed with Planned Parenthood, a decision that would be supported by a very high number (approaching 100% I would bet) of female babies who were aborted. It did this, however, without considering what was going to happen next. The eruption of furor and disgust from all quarters knocked them off kilter. They could find no solace in the fact that they would be doing the right thing. Nor could take any comfort from the fact that they would be invited to more of our pot luck dinners.
The facts are these: our enemies (and by this I mean people trying to construct a culture of unbelief which could in the past be called rationalistic militant secularism but which more and more looks like irrationalistic militant shoutiness; I do not mean people that I am angry with…I disagree with them but there is no personal animas on my part) control the way our culture “thinks” (ok, thinks is a very strong word “reacts” would be better). They control the funding of organizations in our culture. They control our money (tax money taken by compulsion).
These are the more troubling facts: they should control these things. We, as believers, have not shown ourselves to be competent at this point to actually administer a culture. We savage each other and prepare ourselves for battles that have been long since complete. We whimper for them (our foes) to give us a place at the table, or a small piece of their affection (we know that it would only be a one-night-stand, but hey…). We want things like vouchers that will make us all the more their toadies. Our worship is weak. Our love for each other is chilly. Our care for the lost is mired in our desire to not make anyone feel left out (this might be hard to explain to them on the last day if they ask something like “why didn’t you mention something?”). Our care for the poor and the needy is haphazard or lacking (it should be said that at least we give the poor the dignity of trying to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” instead of the condescending and demean “help” slavery that the government typically offers).
Summary: Culturally, our faith has failed.
So, now what? They have all the money, all the resources, all the influence, and the power…but that is fine. We have the one thing that they do not. We have Him. The King is on our side. Today (I am writing this on Sunday morning), I am headed off to worship. I will be in His presence. I will have a lot sin to confess (personally and cultural) as I kneel before Him. He (I already know how the story goes) will wash me like a parent washes a child who has been out playing in the field. He will call me further into His presence. He will teach me. He will provide for me. He will call me (and all believers) to sit down at the table that He has made for us. I will be filled, given rest, and called to go back out into the field to work for His kingdom tomorrow.
Restoration of cultural sanity can only begin in worship. Worship is the engine that drives the world. Other things must happen too. We must care for the poor (and end the cycle of dependency). We must found schools that will give our children and the children of our community an education that tells them who they are and why they are here. We have to produce art that renews the mind and enlivens the imagination. We have to feast together and grow in love for one another. All this is good and it must happen, but before we can hope to defund Planned Parenthood we need to have some time with our Father and our Older Brother and find the peace and rest and nourishment that only comes from worship.
