When It's Not Cool Anymore

By Brian HensonMonday, I was sitting on my John Deere, mowing the grass. Over the years, my times on the Deere have been not only about getting the lawn cut, but also about thinking through questions that have been on my mind that particular week. This hasn’t been intentional; it’s just that I’ve always got questions on my mind, and when I’m mowing, there are no distractions; it’s only me and whatever I’m pondering.So, as I sat on the mower, I was thinking through some the ways our culture has changed over the last couple of decades. Whether we look at the debate over gay marriage, the threat of domestic terrorism, or any number of other issues, it’s easy to see that we’re not “in Kansas anymore.” It’s not that I only realized this for the first time on Monday—again, it’s pretty obvious to anybody who stops and looks around, regardless of political or religious affiliation—but as I sat there mowing, the theological aspect of our changed culture became clearer to me. Here’s what I mean. I remember when I was a kid, twenty-five years ago or so, in a small town in the Boot Heel of Missouri, everybody more or less shared my faith, or at least agreed with it in general terms. You would have been hard pressed to find anyone who didn’t “believe” (and I use that term loosely) that Jesus was the Savior or that the Ten Commandments were right or that morality was a pretty cut-and-dry matter: there was right, and there was wrong, with little gray area. As Christianity was the clearest expression of these convictions, it was still pretty cool to be a Christian. As I considered these things, I thought, Man, it was easier to be a Christian back then!But things are quite different now, aren’t they? Now, by and large, Jesus is considered to be just another “great religious teacher” of days gone by. Christianity is simply another path you pursue to get your felt needs met and to provide you with a moral framework. Instead, all truth is seen to be relative (“what’s true for you is true for you, and what’s true for me is true for me), and to talk of the objective truthfulness of the gospel message—“the word of the cross,” as Paul once called it—is considered foolish and weak. It’s a scandal. And as these cultural attitudes toward Jesus and the gospel have changed, many of the social structures that reinforce them have disappeared. Sure, in some areas of the country (including ours), it’s possible to re-live the “glory days” and enjoy some of the social approval that goes with being a Christian—even if only a nominal Christian. But those days are rapidly coming to an end.So, what do we do when it’s not cool to be a follower of Jesus anymore?  Think about that question for a second. Go ahead, I’ll wait….Okay, now that you’ve done that, do you feel the tension? Following Jesus in most any area, be it theology, finances, morality, sexuality—you name it—is definitely not poplar. In fact, there is immense pressure in the opposite direction. If you’ve never felt that pressure, just wait—you will.Before I describe what I believe is a Biblical attitude toward being a disciple of Jesus when it’s not cool, let me mention a few strategies Christians have employed at various times when they felt, or actually were, threatened. Give up. This is the strategy (or lack thereof) that says, “The world is so against us, it’s just too hard. I quit.” At that point, you walk away from Jesus all together.Buy in. This strategy takes everything the world is selling and buys it wholesale. Then, we try to mix the world’s values and actions with some vaguely “Christian” notions of morality and good feelings and come up with a socially acceptable civil religion.Lash out. Think picket lines. Christians get so angry about what’s going on around them that it colors everything they say and do. They are known for what they are against, not what they’re for. They don’t ever get around to loving people or preaching the gospel, because they are so intent on demonstrating their righteous indignation.Hunker down. This is strategy that totally ignores the world. The church keeps to itself, rejoices that they are saved, and waits for Jesus to come rescue them.Needless to say, none of these strategies are right, and they all miss out on a crucial truth: When following Jesus isn’t cool anymore, there is a tremendous opportunity for the gospel to grow, both in depth and in breadth, so we should be encouraged. In terms of depth, this environment of opposition forces believers to step back and take stock of their most fundamental commitments. Do we really believe all the things we claim to, or have we simply embraced them on a surface level because it was easy to do so, because there was no opposition? We are forced to admit our sin, our unbelief, the areas of life where we aren’t quite as brave and faithful and willing to follow Jesus as we thought we were when there was no pressure from the opposite direction. This shouldn’t be a cause for despair or discouragement, but a time for renewed faith and continual repentance. Likewise, when we are forced to take stock of our own faith, it has the effect of clarifying that faith to a watching world. We are more ready to answer questions and provide a more informed description of what following Jesus is all about.In terms of breadth, the gospel tends to flourish—not disappear—in places where it is not poplar. Micah Fries, Director of Ministry Development for LifeWay, put it like this: “As Christianity is marginalized in America; as most are not only non-believers, but are aggressively opposed to our faith, I think the church will find itself increasingly forced into a missional posture.” Why? We are actually forced to articulate our faith, since it is no longer “normal” for people. That’s where the clarifying effect upon our faith I mentioned above comes in so handy.But here is what I find most encouraging, and most life changing, about the situation in which we find ourselves: it is forcing me to lean harder into Jesus. I have to rely more heavily upon him; I have to take him my questions more frequently. I am functionally, daily, forced to go to him for rest. Pastor Jonathan Dodson said that in times of difficulty we “find Jesus standing up in our circumstances, flooding them with hope.”As we see Jesus in our circumstances, we are able to see everything in light of the Cross—foolishness to the world, but the wisdom and power of God. That indeed gives us hope, both individually and as a church, and that is a good place to be, cool or not.