Yes, I can't help it. I downloaded the new Elvis/Lisa Marie Presley version of "In the Ghetto." I don't know why, but it touches me. The song always has, but to hear both of them singing together, for the first time, publicly...man, it gives me chills. Sad thing is, the ghetto is still there...always will be. The song is timeless. Unfortunately, so is poverty.
Ironically, one thing that doesn't change is...well, change. I'm about to begin a study on God in pop culture: Navigating our culture through theological reflection and social awareness...blah, blah blah. Yeah it sounds more like a thesis than a wednesday evening class. But what I've discovered is that change is always present when it comes to culture. So, if one were to write a book on finding God in the culture 20 years ago, it would not do us much good here in 2007. However, the techniques used to discern what God is doing...those rarely change.
The premise is stated in the verse from 1 John 17:15, 16. "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it."
The question I constantly ask myself for me and for my family is just this. How can we keep from being swayed back and forth by the cultural shifts that surround us? What I look forward to in this study is to discover some key truths that don't change...key methods that will be helpful to all of us when we navigate the life we have been given.
I'd love to hear your comments on this idea.
2 comments:
Thanks for your blog, Scott, and for the class you're getting ready to teach. I hope it goes well. As for any comments, I will try to think of something to contribute. One thought is that I have heard people quote Jesus ("the poor you will have with you always..."), and then it's tempting to use that as a rationale for not helping poor people, as if to say: "It won't do any good." You know what I mean?
Mark
Perhaps the key is keeping our eyes on Jesus. I'm reminded of Peter walking on the lake. As soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink. Prior to that, the waves sloshed against him, the wind bufffeted him yet despite these distractions he kept his eyes on the one steady thing in this universe...our Lord. Similar to a dancer who keeps their eyes on one spot while they spin so they don't get dizzy. It may sound like a simple answer but it may hold a key.
Mike
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