One of the salient features of the twenty-first century is that we are living in a post-trust culture. As I have recently mentioned (21/4) , this means that our ability to trust institutions, governments, politicians, economics, and churches is coming to an end. Furthermore, the Christian faith in the West seems to be losing its traction, coherence, and credibility. The principles of marketing and consumerism in many of our churches are replacing the deep spiritual realities of truth, unity, and love, which are so essential in a world lost in propaganda and fraud. It seems to me therefore, that this is a defining moment and the church is at a historic crossroads. Even prominent leaders of large denominations are aware: the church’s survival is under serious threat.
I believe we can contribute to reversing the flow of the demise of the church if we are equipped with a fresh breathing of the Spirit and if we seek to exemplify a plurality of, at least, these perspectives: 1) Be living testimonies to God’s truth, grace, and love in serving others. 2) Engage the world of nature and humanity missionally and redemptively for the sake of Christ. 3) Practice appropriate levels of confidence and humility in apologetics. 4) Focus on better ways of interpreting the biblical text. 5) Promote credible scholarship in a multiplicity of disciplines. 6) Produce creative and interesting music, writing, and art. 7) Involve ourselves in politics, culture, and government with integrity. 8) Care for the poor and oppressed.
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