One of the reasons God designed a faith context for human-beings, may have been that the large physical/spiritual context for mankind is too complex for us to understand fully, and well beyond mortal ability to confine it to many languages/cultures. I have long believed this to be true, but it accented even further my belief in reading the annual letter of Ken Myers, sent to the subscribers of his Mars Hill Audio at Christmas, 2013. The Mars Hill interviews and written materials are excellent, addressing a large variety of themes of interest to Christian listeners and readers. My alert is that they may be too sophisticated for general readers. This observation applies for much of the literature that addresses vital and important issues in any meaningful field, physical (nature) or metaphysical (spiritual), trying to find understanding and answers to questions. The proofs and beliefs verifying the Christian are larger than the human context.
Myers’ letter on this occasion accented the theme of the common good. He sees it as a growing accent in the turn to the third millennium. He uses quotes in identifying this good as missional so both corporate and prophetic (as contrary to individual and conventional). Already in the first two sentences the letter has gone beyond the majority intellectual orientation of the public. There will be a need for meaningful definitions, illustrations of the points, and suggestions of balanced activity before the masses of church people gain, accept and make practical the point of the common good. It is likely that Myers knows the majority of his subscribers are more sophisticated in education than the majority of church attendees. He refers to a growing vocabulary favoring the common good. Part of the understanding of that good is found in what is negative to it. That negative has been characterized by those who fear that the evangelistic and discipling work of American Christianity has been badly damaged by a generation of culture war fighting. The fear is that some persons doubt Jesus because of Christians. With better common good for cultural engagement, according to author, David Gushee, Christ followers will become known for what they stand for rather than what they are against. Most thoughtful communicators, including Myers, in the Christian context, persons I have known in Christian discussions and ministries have held to the common good. The implication here is that tension among Christians since the Civil War has hurt the call of Christ’s gospel.
Myers feels a major concern: that the common good will turn out to be countercultural rather than attractive ultimately to the masses in their cultures. There is more to be addressed from Myers’ concern, but we limit to this point for a Page. That there are positives and negatives in any context we must admit. Lately the United States has faced shutdowns because of conflicts but democracy holds. Analogies are many. After 1950 and the world-wide ministry of Billy Graham, and others of lesser publicity, there was an accent of the common good. There has been greater recent support of charities for human needs like hunger and housing from church populations. Denominations have added departments to assist missionaries in meeting community needs. The Salvation Army has been at the effort of the common good since late in the nineteenth century. Other efforts have been made in education, business, and social improvements. Where it has appeared it has done rather well, but not sufficiently well to advance the Christian gospel in recent decades. There have been flurries, but the fallbacks seem to be gaining force diluting much of what the gospel is presumed to advance. This is partly seen in another part of the Myers’ letter in which he believes the call for repentance will produce resentment and resistance. This presumably will be the case because the culture is defiantly opposed to shared and institutionalized recognition of the common good. My point is that the culture is not opposed to penitence so long as someone else is doing it for themselves. The illustrations are many reaching into all areas of life. We expect leaders to admit to their sins, for the rich to admit to greed, for drunks to admit to alcoholism, and prove their sorrow by making discernable change in conduct. The church has always been faced with troubled and troublesome persons. They are accepted even at some cost in the public misrepresentation of church meaning and integrity. We note especially the short letters of John, and the seven churches of The Revelation. Our duty is to represent and model the gospel of Christ in any context so to carry and offer the life story and culture he offers. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020