Some Christians don’t watch TV, read books, go to movies, or listen to music that isn’t gospel-based. Their friends are all Christians, and their kids go to Christian schools. Wherever possible, they work in a Christian environment or only socialize with the Christians at work.
This sends a multifaceted, unchristian message and is easily interpreted as a matter of fearing secular influence, of disinterest in the lost, or of not understanding Scripture. Christ mingled with the lost so He could save them.
He engaged with the concerns of the day (money, authority, sexual sin), and went to parties (turning water into wine).
How does a Jesus follower engage the secular world, its culture, and its people, in a way which leaves a mark on that world? How does the Christian engage without being drawn right in?
1. Choose with Caution
Before stepping into that world, it is wise to remember that the Lord does encourage us to think about our approach.
Paul cautioned, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).
Proverbs 13:20 says this: “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”
Walks with? Unequally yoked? What does the Lord want us to take from this? After all, we are told to go out and preach the Word and Jesus was seen at the dinner table with sinners.
Paul took the gospel to the Gentiles. We have to come into contact with unbelievers. They will not listen to us if we do not care about them.
Unbelievers know when they are nothing more than a “project,” someone for you to convert. Certainly, do not walk in their ways. Do not adopt their sins and become burdened, carrying a yoke around your neck that drags you down.
Instead, carry your own yoke into the room — the yoke of Jesus. “There is a burden to be carried for Christ, and all the strength that God gives us must be used for his honour and glory,” Spurgeon explained.
The logical conclusion is that there is a yoke for Christ and there is a yoke for something else; we are all yoked one way or the other.
Enter a sea of secular thinkers, movie lovers, or book readers already yoked so that you are not burdened by temptations to be like those who reject Christ’s salvation.
2. Start with Common Ground
Mark D. Allen asserts that “we will almost always share significant values with our secular conversation partner, perhaps ideals like love of family, distaste for any type of abuse, or the importance of human rights.”
One way to start a conversation with people who don’t love Jesus is to begin on common ground. Everyone with even a remotely humane bone in his or her body can agree that children need to be protected; that spouses should not be abused; that bullying is bad; and that poverty should end.
Set up the foundation for conversation based on topics you know you can agree about and avoid controversy until you have established a conversation.
Why would you be so cautious? For one thing, Christians have had the reputation of being poor communicators. They preach but do not listen. They propound ideas without hearing the other perspective. If your faith is strong that is because your God is solid, so what are you afraid of?
Listen to the other side and respond to what you hear rather than reciting your memorized retorts. “Starting from the inside uncovers unworkable rationality structures and creates doubt in skeptics toward their secular framework. It makes space to discuss [...] Christianity. Through sympathetic listening, it also deals with the real issues and thought forms of the person in front of you.”
You have to hear the secular stories that shape their secular views. In fact, at this time it’s as though you are hearing God’s voice too as he guides you by his spirit to the clues in a conversation such as fear of death, feelings of unworthiness, guilt, and unforgiveness.
3. Talk about Shared Interests
This might require the Christian to branch out and try new books, movies, music, or TV shows in order to find a starting point. You will soon discover that the gospel is in everything.
Christ impacts every creative endeavor whether the writer/musician/painter knows it or not. Even if the artist’s expression is angry, Jesus still has something to say about that. And don’t forget that Jesus was both sad and angry at times.
How does one choose which works to listen to, read, or admire? I was reading a series by Terry Brooks that is all about magic because some of my co-workers love fantasy. One book called Wizard at Large featured a character known as the Darkling.
Whoever released him from a bottle became his master, but the Darkling inspired his master to do terrible things that were really just the longings of that person’s soul, not new ideas planted there by the Darkling.
Eventually, the Darkling mastered his master. This is sin in a nutshell: we think we’ve got control, but sin starts to control us. Not only that, but sin emerges from what is in our hearts. Sometimes we like to do what the Lord has told us not to do.
You can probably think of a piece of music so angry that you were inspired to ask, “Why is this person so mad? What caused this individual to write such violent, hateful lyrics?” Now you are armed with a question — so ask your friend, “Why do you listen to music like this?”
You never know what pain you might uncover. Here is an opportunity to listen carefully and to even speak into that pain if you have the patience and wisdom to do so sensitively, over time.
4. Science of Surprise
One criticism of Christians is that we don’t think — we walk by blind faith. That’s true of some Christians, we have to admit that. But the strongest faith is one based on reason. “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord” (Isaiah 1:18).
Albert Barnes noted that reasoning together meant “two contending parties [were] arguing a case” as though in court. They were weighing the evidence. This is what scientists do too — they use evidence to get answers.
So let the scientist make his or her argument against God’s creative hand, and against the resurrection; it’s okay. God’s expectation that we put His Word to the test is reassuring to all Christians who wonder sometimes if their faith is based on something real.
They can test and measure side-by-side with their skeptical friends who, if they honestly make decisions based on the proof in front of them, will have to consider all that the Lord has laid out in front of them.
There are a number of books, YouTube videos, and documentaries where scientists of some renown argue the case that Christ is Lord and Savior, One with God and the Holy Spirit.
Making your case doesn’t have to be about geology or dinosaurs: even examining history in light of Jesus’ ministry is a matter of examining historical, psychological, etymological, archaeological, medical, and textual scholarship. His life, death, and resurrection stand up to scrutiny.
Mark Allen wrote that “some will assert, ‘I believe in science, not God,’ but that claim is not founded on science. It’s basically a faith commitment.” Be prepared to see the truth and the lies behind what people are saying.
Take Yourself Lightly, but Salvation Seriously
You want people to be saved, and this is the most serious business imaginable. People are going to face eternity apart from God. Based on current statistics, most individuals in North America are going to hell.
No wonder we are in such a hurry to skip the preliminaries and get down to business. But we do not save, Jesus saves. We are flawed and sometimes amusing vessels. Our sins can be entertaining, even though we are testifying to the grace of God when we share them.
Use your life to reach an unbeliever with themes he or she can relate to such as embarrassing moments in parenthood, marriage, mountain biking, or traveling. Be real, be human, and be accessible. This is where conversation flows and, from here, fellowship might follow.
For further reading:
How Can We Read the Bible as Culture Changes?
How Should Christians Respond When the Culture Pendulum Swings?
How Can Christians Know if They're Trapped in Culture Wars?
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