Too Pagan or Too Christian?

As believers, making an impact on this earth requires us to understand what Jesus meant in John 17 when he prayed that his disciples would be 'in the world but not of the world.'  In the world but not of it?  What exactly does that mean? Christians for centuries have been trying to figure this out: how do we love the world - its people, its pleasures, and its beauty - without falling for the world - its idolatry, its profanity, its irreligious mindset?  Nineteenth-century evangelist Dwight L. Moody explained it this way, "The place for the ship is in the sea; but God help the ship if the sea gets into it."  In other words, we need to avoid being culturally removed from the world (like a ship out of water) but we also need to avoid being culturally relaxed (like a ship being submerged in water).

So, practically, what does this look like?  Here are some ideas:

• We should actively contribute to our culture - be an artist, run for political office, serve on the PTA - yet refrain from the cultures appetite to cheat, manipulate, lie or become self-righteous.
• We are allowed to enjoy the God-given pleasures of this earth - good food, wine, sexual intimacy - yet we are required to enjoy these delights in moderation, purity and with restraint when necessary.
• We want to be relevant in terms of multi-media and social media - TV, movies, internet, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest - yet disciplined in our consumption so that service to our families and our communities is not sacrificed.
• We need to abstain from foul language, 'little white lies,' anger and gossip so that we'll not be ashamed when someone says "hey, I thought you were a Christian?".

Yes, Christ has called us to be in the world yet distinct from it.  And, if we follow him this way, we'll possibly seem "too pagan for our Christian friends and too Christian for our pagan friends" (Dick Staub, How to Love the World without Falling for it).