The Shift

I was reading a report by George Barna where he states that three major changes are reshaping the landscape in which we read and engage with the Bible in America today. These ‘shifts’ are most apparent among today’s youngest generations and give shape to the present and future reality within which we read and interact with the Bible.

The first shift is the ‘increasing skepticism.’
More people have more questions about the origins, relevance and authority of the Scriptures. Our culture is becoming unfriendly- sometimes even hostile- to claims of faith. In a society that venerates science and rationalism, it is an increasingly hard pill to swallow that an eclectic assortment of ancient stories, poems, sermons, prophecies, and letters- written and compiled over 2,000 years is somehow the sacred ‘Word of God.’

The question we need to ask as Christ followers is: When people ask questions about faith, do we know the Bible well enough to answer? (1 Peter 3:15)

The second shift is a ‘new moral code.’
Self-fulfillment has become the cultural measure of what is good, setting up a conflict between society and the Church. It is becoming rarer in our culture to find people who discover the truest thing about themselves is their identity in Christ.

How can the Christian community help disciples of all ages remain faithful as the culture becomes more intolerant?

The third shift is ‘digital access.’
New tools and technologies are making the Bible- and everything else- more accessible than ever before. This shift is an incredible leap forward in the ‘Bible cause’ of giving every person on earth access to God’s Word in his or her own language. What a privilege to partner with the Holy Spirit during this all-access revolution! At the same time, digital access also means an unfiltered flood of ideas and information that must be evaluated for goodness and truth.

So we must ask ourselves: ‘Are we equipping disciples, especially young disciples, with the spiritual, emotional, and mental tools they need to live wisely and for God’s glory in the ‘screen age?’

Blessings,  
Mark

P.S. If you were God, would there be evil, pain, and suffering? If God knows more than we do, how do we handle this issue of evil and suffering in relationship to a good and Holy God? Come this Sunday at 9:15 or 11:00 am and bring a friend as we wrestle with this challenge.