Correcting Culture
The western world is individualistic. When making decisions, the typical American does not think first about nation, culture, city, neighborhood, or family. Rather, he turns inwardly and thinks first about what he desires and what he thinks will bring fulfillment to his own life.
An old but still relevant example of this individualism can be found in the writings of French author André Gide, who “came out” in the 1920s. In his book, A Secular Age, Charles Taylor describes it as a “move in which desire, morality and a sense of integrity came together….It is not just that Gide no longer feels the need to maintain a false front; it is that after a long struggle he sees this front as a wrong that he is inflicting on himself, and on others who labor under similar disguises.” His only binding moral demand, according to Taylor, was, “Find yourself, realize yourself, release your true self.” One would be hard pressed to find a better description of the spirit of our age.
It's no wonder, then, that people bristle at the Bible’s sexual ethics. They describe Jesus’ laws on marriage, divorce, and remarriage as “harsh” and “impossible to follow” (they're not far off from the disciples’ assessment). They characterize Paul’s prohibitions against homosexual activity as “homophobic” and “keeping people away from love.” They describe first century church organization, which calls for male spiritual leadership, as “backwards” and “anti-women.” These assessments are not based upon any objective standard of right or wrong. The Bible is very strict about divorce, homosexuality, and gender roles (Matt. 19:6-9; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Tim. 2:11-12). Modern views that judge the Bible as an outdated, bigoted, unloving book are based purely on individual tastes.
A person might agree and say, “My views are based on my own feelings. So what? I'm not hurting anybody.”
But in truth, we have more influence than we give ourselves credit for. No one lives in isolation. Our actions affect others, whether we like it or not.
When our actions butt up against long-held traditions and biblical commands, a good question to ask is, “What if everyone behaved the way I'm behaving? What if everyone chose the path I am on?” What would culture look like if everyone lived the way you would like to live?
Getting more specific, what would happen to society if everyone adopted progressive views on divorce, homosexuality, and gender roles? When we ask this question, we give ourselves a larger perspective than individualism affords and begin to understand why Christ was “strict” about divorce or why Paul “judged” homosexuality.
God's not trying to steal your happiness. Laws on marriage and same-sex relationships are not aimed at anyone personally. They are culture-correcting. In other words, they are the best ethics for leading a society toward a life that flourishes with abundance.
At the center of Christian faith is a cross. On that cross there hangs a man who put others before himself to the point of death. He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). Why would anyone expect to find individualism in the Bible?
Christ may not have called you to “live your truth,” but he did reveal that the best life is not found in oneself, but in submission to God who embodies authentic love. Those who lose themselves in him find true freedom and eternal life.
Drew Kizer