Faith For This Moment Devotional By Rick McKinleySýnishorn

Day One

A Time of Opportunity

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:11

Once upon a time, people who followed Jesus had an identity that fit well within American society. Pastors were respected, church attendance was far greater than it is today, and debates in the public square took into consideration what God or the church had to say on the matter. That day has long since passed. For followers of Jesus, our identity within the culture has become marginalized as society has grown more pluralistic and secular. Today hundreds of beliefs and worldviews compete for the attention of the hearts and minds of people. 

Christians who once felt their faith had a home in America are realizing that they are increasingly a minority group. This is especially true for white Christians. The African American church and other churches of color have a long history of living out their faith while being marginalized by the majority culture. For white Christians, being marginalized is an entirely new experience.

The loss of identity leads to a second loss that Christians experience today: the loss of place. Christian voices have receded to the margins within society. This uneasiness has led many to scramble for security, running to politics to seek salvation. The lingering result of the culture wars is the lasting impression that Christians, and particularly evangelical Christians, are more of a political party than a movement of believers committed to following Jesus and sharing his gospel. The result is Christians who love Jesus but find themselves confused by who they are now and where their place in society might be. 

The last loss Christians are facing is the loss of practice. They no longer understand what it means to practice their faith. Ironically, Christian practice tends to get reduced to being nice, not bothering anyone, and not taking the faith too seriously or causing a scene. The radical, cross-bearing faith of Peter, James, and John is inspiring to read about but seemingly impossible to replicate. The problem as I see it is that, for most Christians, their current practice does not distinguish them from the greater society, nor does it necessarily form them to be salt and light in the world. This leads us to the question we’re going to look at next: What does it mean to be the people of God now?

In what ways have you experienced the losses of identity, place, and practice as a Christian in today’s world?