Americans must choose between civilization or its destroyers.
~Victor Davis Hanson
The above quote got me thinking about how Christians have differing views on whether they should concern themselves with their culture.
Those inclined to ignore culture tend to view culture-building negatively, because it can lead people to neglect the care of their souls.
They also argue…
Those who live in a Christian culture may presume they are in good standing with God, even if they aren’t.
I’ll grant such things are possible. A lot of adverse things are possible in a fallen world.
But it doesn’t follow that we should avoid seeking to develop a God-glorifying culture just because there are risks.
Consider…
Some marriages end in divorce. Yet that doesn’t mean we should discourage couples from getting get married.
Similarly, just because Christian culture may be done imperfectly, doesn’t mean we should give up on it.
Especially since God created us as culture-making beings…
And directed mankind from the beginning to develop a culture with Him.
This commission–found in the first two chapters of the Bible (Gen. 1:28; 2:15)–is known as the “cultural” or “dominion mandate.”
And it remains in force for humanity today.
Our current cultural decline compels us to recover this mandate–and seriously pursue it.
Because the real question is not whether we should be concerned about culture, but what kind of culture will we have.
Will it reflect love for God and neighbor, or something else?
