How Should We Then Live in 2020?

Ron Miller June 7, 2020

Note: In 1976, theologian Francis Schaeffer wrote his magnum opus, “How Should We Then Live: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture,” and it became a guidepost for an entire generation of Christians on how to navigate in a rapidly changing world. Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey wrote a follow up of sorts in 1999 entitled “How Now Shall We Live?,” also advising Christians on how they should negotiate the times in which they found themselves. With apologies to these wise and esteemed people, I felt the title is appropriate to the words I have to offer today.

Many friends have asked me in the wake of the turmoil in our nation right now, "What can I do?" People want to do more than lament or post memes of support. Americans are people of action; it's practically encoded in their cultural DNA. While there are times for contemplation, at some point, we must act, and many of you feel that we’ve reached the point in the American story where our actions must speak louder than our words..

I'm humbled and honored that people would turn to me with that question, and I am working on a message to give at my church in response to it. As always, I will strive, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to build the message on the firm foundation of the Word of God. Some thoughts, however, that I want to leave with you now might be helpful as you try to sail these rough seas in which we find ourselves.

Define your sphere of influence - What is your circle of friends, co-workers, and acquaintances? Who do you spend time with? Who do you influence with your words and actions? What does your social circle look like, real and virtual? The reason the answers to these questions are important is because if you try to take on the world, you will become quickly discouraged and eventually disengage. Making a difference globally starts with everyone making a difference in the place where the Lord has put them.

Define your gifts and abilities - One of my favorite verses of Scripture is Ephesians 2:10 - "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." I picture in my mind's eye the Lord writing down the very tasks for which He is designing us, and then building us with everything we need to do the work He's identified for us. "You do you" is a dismissive phrase, but it is roughly descriptive of what I am advising here. Just as you should focus on your sphere of influence, you should concentrate on what your talents, education, experience and, for Christians, your spiritual gifts, allow you to do. If you're good at something, that's what you should do to help.

Determine what you put first - I describe this as the central organizing principle around which you order your life. What is that for you? Christians would say it is Jesus, but is it? Examine what gets you unusually excited or angry. Look at your checkbook and see where your discretionary income goes. Look at how you spend your time. Humans are made to worship, and it doesn't matter if you're religious or not; "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). Paul called out the human condition when he said, "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen" (Romans 1:25). An idol is not just a graven image; a person or persons, a place, a social circle, a tribe, a nation, even "good" things like church or family can be idols if they take precedence over Jesus Christ. Keeping Christ at the center means surrendering everything; "And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:27). The good news is that giving everything to Him will come back to you with interest, for He is a Good Shepherd who wants only the best for his flock.

Listen, then listen some more, and listen again before you speak - This is a big one. When it comes to contentious issues, most of us have strong opinions one way or another, and we go into conversations armed with our responses to what others have to say before they’ve even said it. If you’re formulating your answers in your mind while someone else is talking, what are the chances you’ve even heard what they are saying? Jesus’ brother James, tell us, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:19-20). Active listening means not only hearing but receiving what others are saying and pondering it before you open your mouth to speak. When you do speak, it should be to 1) acknowledge their experience, because it’s not invalid just because you haven’t experienced it, 2) repeat what you heard to be sure you’re grasping it, and 3) ask for clarification if there’s something you didn’t get right or don’t understand. That’s how a true conversation begins. Defensiveness and deflection are guaranteed to throw up walls and prevent progress. “Seek first to understand, then to be understood,” as one of the late Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People tells us. And who doesn’t want to be a highly effective person?

Don’t deflect - This is a common and unbecoming tactic that is reminiscent of Soviet propaganda techniques, a statement that probably wouldn’t resonate with people who weren’t in the intelligence business during the Cold War as I was. Here is what Russian activist Garry Kasparov had to say about the tactic of “whataboutism:”

Soviet propaganda was also expert in "whataboutism," a term coined to describe how Soviet leaders would respond to criticism of Soviet massacres, forced deportations, and gulags with "What about how you Americans treated the Native Americans and the slaves?" or something similar. For the most part it was a transparent and shabby rhetorical trick of deflection and changing the topic. As Putin has revived so many Soviet methods and traditions, whataboutism is popular once again today thanks to Russia's cadres of trained Internet trolls. If someone tries to deflect from the illegal and immoral application of force by an agent of the state against black people by proclaiming, “What about black-on-black crime?,” that’s a deflection. When someone tries to highlight the criminal record or moral failings of a black victim of police brutality, that’s a deflection. They are trying to avoid the central question and are creating a false moral equivalence to paralyze you into inaction. My mother had a saying when I would try to deflect her from something I had done: “What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?” Mothers are so wise! I’ve got some things to say about the two specific types of deflection I’ve mentioned here, but I will save them for another article.

Mankind has been deflecting since the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve disobeyed God. When God confronted Adam, to whom he had given the responsibility to warn Eve about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but who stood there passively as she took the fruit and ate it, and consumed the fruit she gave him despite God’s command, “The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it’” (Genesis 3:12). That’s cold - this was the “bone of [his] bones and flesh of [his] flesh” (Genesis 2:23), and he was quick to throw her under the bus to take the heat off of himself. That is the world’s first recorded instance of deflection. Don’t be like Adam.

Be a peacemaker, not a peacekeeper - Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Yet, later in the same Gospel, He warns his disciples, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). Wait a minute - what? There goes another one of those contradictions in the Bible, some of my unbelieving friends would say. As my pastor would say, however, when reading the Bible, it’s all about “context, context, context.” The Bible makes it clear how the Lord expects His disciples to conduct themselves in the world:

You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:43-45)

"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. (Matthew 26:52)

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:17-18)

First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered on behalf of all men, for kings and all those in authority, so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. (1 Timothy 2:2)

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:15-17) Clearly, Jesus isn’t expecting His followers to be a source of conflict, but exemplars of the fruit of the Holy Spirit within us; “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). When Jesus spoke of bringing a sword, He was talking about how His message would be received by some in the world:

As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. (Matthew 10:12-14)

You will face conflict when you “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8), because, as Paul implied Romans, you can only control that which depends on you for peaceable living with others. Avoidance of conflict and trying to keep the peace at the cost of justice and righteousness is being a peacekeeper. Instead, run toward conflict and stand in the truth that the Lord we serve came “to proclaim good news to the poor…proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4-18-19). You should never be the source of conflict, but you should always be prepared to engage it in a Christ-like manner. That is the way of the peacemaker. The fruit of the peacekeeper is appealing but withers quickly on the vine; the fruit of the peacemaker is grown through toil and in tough soil, but it is resilient and lasting.

Don't let the few dissuade you - It doesn't take much to find people on social media who are quick to call you names your mother never gave you, or who assign righteousness to their cause as they denigrate yours. I could have dozens of affirmative comments for something I write, and it only takes one negative reaction to throw me off track and make me want to retreat. That's not good for me, and it's not good for you, either. My desire is to be a Romans 12:18 Christian: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." If that doesn't happen, I become morose very quickly, and with my history of clinical depression, I need to stay out of the valleys as much as I can. Ask yourself this question: if you're a Christ follower, do your words and actions reflect that you love God with all of your being, and others as yourself? Jesus said, "All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:40). Let that be your north star, not the virulent criticism of humankind. A gentle word of correction, delivered in private from a Christian friend, is worthy of your attention, because we should always be humble and accept that we don't have all the answers. Otherwise, shake it off and stay focused, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith" (Hebrews 12:2).

I have some prayer and Bible study and meditation to do before my message on June 28th, but I hope these initial thoughts are helpful. Meanwhile, for those of you who live in the Lynchburg area, I have something that you can do if you are so inclined.

The No Walls Ministry was created to bring churches together across denominations and cultures to first meet the needs of our community, and then teach them, by word and example, the unity that Christ so passionately desired not only for His disciples, but for all Christians today: "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:20-21). Unity is not uniformity; conciliation is not conformity. We see and celebrate the diversity of people and gifts represented in our member churches, and we have a variety of ministries that will appeal to practically anyone who wants to help. So here's my ask:

1. Go to the home page for this web site where you’re reading this blog article. 2. Check out the web site in its entirety so you know everything about us. Watch the short videos under How We Do It. 3. If your church is not involved with us, and you think they should be, let us know. 4. If you are moved to support us financially, please donate. All of our works are possible only through your donations. You can click on the Donate button on the web site, or you can visit the No Walls donation page on PayPal

Thank you for your time and attention - I know they are precious and I don't take that for granted. May God grant you peace - I love you!

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:22-25)