Hello!!! It has been a while since I have blogged, and now I am trying to collect a month and a half of thoughts into concise paragraphs that explain an experience that none of you were able to experience with me (except those there of course…). This is a daunting task for me because I feel I will under-write the experience and give you an illusion of something that wasn’t. It is hard to think about how I can communicate all I have been through and all I’ve seen, but I will do my best to capture everything I feel is important to pass on! Please be reminded though that these are my thoughts….no one else’s….and as you read this blog, if anything doesn’t sit right with you or you don’t agree with something I have written, just remember that these are thoughts “for me”….I’m ok with disagreements because I understand we won’t all see eye to eye on some things. So please read and just enjoy seeing life from my lenses for a few minutes. = )
POST-MODERNISM
I’ll just hit this head-on and start with the infamous “Post-Modernism”. From now on I’ll reference it as po-mo, for sake of typing.
Before I went to Holland, I had heard that the purpose (or primary purpose) of the trip was to see what ministering in a po-mo society was like. How can we best reach students that have been born and raised in a po-mo society and a post-Christian society with the message of Jesus?
Laurence and I...
I remember one of the first meals we ate together as a team, I overheard Laurence (our Dutch team leader) say, “…that is why I think post-modernism has been so good for us in regards to Christianity.” I remember internally I thought, “WHATTTTT?!?!? Po-mo good for Christianity?!” All I have seen or learned is that po-mo is basically the idea that everything is relative, there is no absolute truth. That for me, Christ is the only way, but for you, Buddha might be the only way….etc….that there is no solid ground or foundation to stand on in regards to faith, because for everyone it is whatever they want for themselves. So to hear Laurence say that po-mo has been a good thing for Christianity I was surprised. I needed to know more. Laurence explained his comment by saying that po-mo has been encouraging students to question, “What is Christianity to me?”, instead of asking, “What is my tradition?”
He said that the generations struggled with simply believing in tradition, doing things just because, instead of having their hearts engaged in a relationship with Christ. So they would have maybe answered questions about faith like, “I am Roman Catholic”, giving a title to the faith they think they “belong” to, and not think twice about it. Instead, post-modernism is driving this age to ask, “What really do I think Christianity is for me?” Not to rewrite the faith and say that truth isn’t truth, but to ask, “What does it mean to me?” It gets people to really start looking at their hearts and asking what is faith? What is religion? What is a relationship? Po-mo is a mindset that begins to personalize things per person instead of taking on a “mass” faith without identifying with it. He said that this has been a great time and place to minister to people because they are so open to discuss and question things for themselves.
About 100 years ago, Holland (oh when I reference Holland or the Netherlands, just know they are basically the same thing) was an outspoken Christian culture but in the last 50 years there has been a process of secularization. The country now is primarily secular, not identifying with any specific belief. This is why it is called a post-Christian culture. This was a grievous thing for Christianity.
Parents were abandoning their faith and therefore not raising their children in the ways of the Lord. Generation after generation became more and more Godless. By God’s gracious hand though, they have seen a turn in the generation now. A while back the students would have cringed when hearing about Christ because they would have heard negative things about it from their parents, misconceptions, negativity from the society’s viewpoint, etc. But because so much time has passed, the current students have basically not heard a THING about Jesus. So when someone begins to talk with someone around a student’s age, they have not heard much, if anything, about Christ. They are open to hearing about Him without already having preconceived (negative or positive) notions about who He is. They said this has also helped make witnessing to students a fun and exciting time for them in Holland.
Post-Christian (or as they say, Post-Christendom) has been an amazing thing for them. Christendom, they said, has in the past stood in the way of students coming to know Christ. Christendom says “do this, do that” (a focus on the laws of Christianity) where as post-Christendom says that how we live INSPIRES others to know Christ…it does not push the “dos and don’ts” of tradition or religion or Christendom on people…post-Christendom shows HOW Christ has changed their lives and inspires others to ask questions and seek what Christianity is for them. (*not seek what Christianity is “for them” as in “make their own Christianity” but rather “how do I, on a personal level, explore Christianity, for myself and not for my parents or friends, but for me…”)
Post-modernism and the complete secularization of the country has brewed a time in their history where they are beginning to see an awakening. It is a very exciting time for them! It was amazing for me to see the enthusiasm in their voices as they talked about all God was doing – God is really surprising them with more than they know how to handle!
Last year alone they saw 120 students come to Christ – ONE HUNDERD AND TWENTY. I cannot even imagine that. They give total credit to God moving, as well as the cultural shift they are seeing with an openness and willingness for spiritual things again. They said they simply seek God and seek where the culture is headed, and they look for opportunities to enter into it with the good news of Jesus!
A huge difference they mentioned was how in a “modern” culture, like our own, we can discuss the idea of students sinning and the fact that they need a Savior to forgive them of their sins so that they can be free. Students, on average, still respond to this message. But as we begin to move further into a post-modern culture, the Dutch believe this tactic won’t work as effectively. They have seen that students do not respond to the message that they are sinners and need a Savior. They might even acknowledge that they have sinned, but they don’t seem to care – it doesn’t move their hearts. They have money, prosperity, friends, family – if this is “sin” to them, they’d rather have it than be saved from it. They were telling us that they have had to rethink their approach – which is where post-modernism has helped them.
Instead of talking to students about how they have sinned (for those of you who are familiar with the Navigator Bridge example, or the Four Spiritual Laws of Campus Crusade you will know that it begins by helping the person you’re talking to identify that they are a sinner, that we ALL have fallen short compared to God’s holiness, and we need a Savior)…ok so instead of talking to students about how they have sinned because they have seen that turn students off time and time again, they realized that they needed to figure out what the “good news” was for each student. They would begin a relationship with the student and quickly see what the intial “good news” for the student would be.
A ghetto googled image of the Navigator Bridge
Instead of approaching the students with the same cookie cutter message of sin and hoping they all respond to it the same, they approach the students with the biggest need they have. If someone has lost a father, then they would give them the good news of God being their Father. If someone is heartbroken they would maybe tell them about how Jesus has restored their own heart and could be a comforter for them as well. They try and personalize it for each person (helping them see what Christianity is for them in that moment). They believe that Jesus is the good news for everyone and everything, but the issue can be different per person - and so Jesus is good for everything - they just need to communicate specifically how He meets each need.
They have seen that as they reveal how Jesus meets their current need, the person responds favorably by being open and curious to hear more about “this Jesus” who heals, or this Jesus who has a Father. They then begin encountering Jesus for themselves in personal ways. And the Dutch Navigator staff believe that as the students begin to encounter and know Jesus, that it will not be long before the Holy Spirit begins to convict them of sin and they will be led to repentance and salvation; they trust God to draw His people to Himself.
Don’t be confused though, if the opportunity arises for them to share the full Gospel message with a student (that we have sinned and are in need of a Savior) they will do that. They have just seen, that in this culture, on average, students are not at a place to receive that message and it will just close the door to further conversations. They have seen that as they discuss how Jesus meets their needs (and begin at that point instead of the issue of sin), they are open to discussing more. They have seen how the Holy Spirit has led them to realize they have sinned, even when they have yet to explain it to the students.
My thoughts?
I loved what I saw. I loved the freshness of their thoughts. I really liked thinking about shifting my view of who Jesus is and what He came to do (save sinners) to the view that Jesus came for FAR MORE than just saving sinners from sin – he came to heal us and comfort us and protect us and care for us….to take care of orphans and widows and the poor….there are so many reasons why we love our Savior and to approach the students by explaining sin seems to not fully encompass the God I serve.
I want to make sure that the girls I meet with hear from my mouth the Jesus I have encountered– and I feel that communicating with them all that Christ has done for me is a great way to start. I’d rather them see Christ in me and be inspired or curious about Him instead of feeling like sin is the focus…sin is not the focus…Jesus is.
I think I am a little fried now after all this writing and I need another mind break. I have so much to cover and so little time! I hope I am able to write more of what I experienced at another time… this is just the one small topic of post-modernism. PHEEEW!
Please feel free to comment on this blog and begin a discussion of what you think – what you agree with or don’t, any questions, etc. I would love to answer any questions you have, and I would also love to hear what your thoughts are on this topic and what your experiences have been.
