Today’s America is losing much of the general religious ethos that dominated the U.S. for hundreds of years.
However, the religious, in some ways, are becoming more religious. While fewer people said religion was somewhat important to their lives, there was a jump in those who said religion was very important. Of those who identify with a religion, Pew found an increase in reading Scripture at least weekly, participating in a small group and sharing their faith at least weekly. Church attendance numbers were relatively steady.
There are big and important shifts here. In navigating the new religious environment, Christians must recognize three trends that may change the way they see the culture.
Be sure to look at the WaPo piece here.
I want to ask the question: “How do we, as Christians, live in this new polarized reality?” I addressed some of that culturally in the Washington Post, but let me address it a bit differently here.
The Situation and the “Jesus Solution”
It’s clear that people who do not affiliate with any faith are becoming more secular than in years past. The chasm between Christianity and unbelief is widening because before, the “Nominals” sort of bridged the gap by calling themselves Christians though they didn’t attend church or read the Bible regularly.
As the “Nominals” continue to abandon the Christian label for the “None” label, the gap between faithful Christians and unbelievers is becoming more pronounced, and greater ideological polarization is made manifest.
As we Christians watch our views become ever more unpopular in an increasingly polarized culture, the temptation to defend ourselves in vitriolic, even hateful, ways will grow. As we interact with others virtually or in our communities, we must remember our call to live like Jesus. We must not adopt secular rules of engagement regardless of whether culture is religious or irreligious.
Here are three ways Christians can be like Jesus in a polarizing world:
1. Listen better to people who disagree.
Christians are too good at blurting out what we believe and yelling at people who don’t like it. We’re often too quick to jump to social media to punish our keyboard with our anger and scream at any disagreeing person in our path.
I understand many Christians grew up in historical traditions that say America was founded as a Christian nation. Wherever you are in that discussion, if you still think America is a Christian nation your definition of “Christian” might need a review. We’re just not. We don’t function that way legally or socially. If America was ever a Christian nation, those days are long gone.
I think it’s time to have some conversations with secular people. Ask, “How are we going to peacefully coexist in our society?” and listen to what they have to say. Too often we’re quick to answer that question ourselves. We need to know how nonbelieving Americans envision living among religious Americans. In order to understand and grow, we must choose first to listen.
We must remember that the way we often win the ears of others is by learning to use our own. We follow a man named Jesus, who commanded us to tell the world about him. If we’re too busy yelling, we’ll never make time to tell them that someone loves them enough that He came to die for them. And they won’t likely listen if we do; who likes to be yelled at?
2. Love people despite their disagreements.
Christ calls us to a better way, a way that requires us to love our neighbors as ourselves and treat others as we hope to be treated. Christians are going to have to learn to get comfortable interacting with unbelievers despite our strong disagreements.
We can’t love people we’re unwilling to listen to, and we must love people even if we don’t agree with their points of view. We can’t be so afraid of catching the “sin bug” or being infected with wrong theology that we’re unwilling to eat dinner with unbelieving neighbors, or grab coffee with an atheist from work.
Unfortunately, the church is not known for loving people who are different. Our tendency is to keep outsiders outside, if not pushing them even farther away. That’s our fault and to our shame. Others adhere to a culture war narrative that has Christians crushing and hating enemies rather than loving those who hate us and doing good to those who despise us.
But we can’t hate a people and reach a people at the same time. Christians—words matter, even online, and the more we use our words to hurt and create division, the less opportunity we will be given to use our words to love. The opened door will be closed, and nailed shut. And have a piano pushed against it.
I have heard too many stories of Christian leaders meeting in private with people on different sides of the divide, lest the leader be targeted by a circular firing squad of Christian peers.
We must be allowed, and be eager, to meet with leaders of movements, organizations and ideologies with whom we disagree in order to make it clear that we don’t hate people even if we think they miss the mark on key issues. That’s part of loving someone. Actually, it’s integral to loving someone. It’s what Jesus did at the house of Simon, the house of Zacchaeus and at the well with the Samaritan woman.
