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Fight, Surrender, or Invest

Even though the concerns in our society may not be as new or extreme as we have assumed, they are present. So, how should we approach a broken society? 

One option would be to fight back. The Bible is filled with examples of God sending His people to not only speak firmly but also stand in opposition to the injustice in the world. Yet while many Christians have taken brave stands against the marginalization of people, there are also examples of Christians who, in their efforts to stand up for truth, have actually hurt society. 

Anytime we find ourselves putting down a community, it really means that we have a problem with people, because communities are made up of people. Any hateful feelings you may have toward these people are opposite of the feelings God has for them. Combativeness without compassion is always going to be counterproductive. 

Another response would be to surrender to society. But because society is always in flux, it’s impossible to have a consistent worldview when we’re eager to go along with society. We should never change our orthodox beliefs to line up with a culture that is constantly changing. 

A third option is to invest in society with empathy and conviction. As opposed to words such as fight and surrender, the word invest paints a picture of people giving of themselves to improve the world around them. It means that you and I don’t just write blogs or talk boldly about cultural problems; we sacrifice and invest in the lives of others in society.

Invest is another way of saying the word engage. Engagement encompasses learning about a certain context or group of people to better understand them. Developing relationships with people not like us or people who might intimidate us is so necessary. Our differences with people should drive us to them, not from them. 

If you hadn’t guessed yet, I believe this third way is the option that makes the most sense. When we’re afraid of what tomorrow holds for society and respond by fighting against people, surrendering to misguided ideas, or simply showing indifference to growing causes around the world, we’re choosing to mistreat and devalue others. Not only is dismissing people never a valid option, but it isn’t pleasing to God. 

Considering the above three options, which way do you tend to interact with society? Why?