CWC Synthesis Paper

CWC Synthesis Paper

When asked the question “How should Christians relate to the surrounding culture?” the CWC figure that comes to mind is Francis of Assisi. But I’ll get back to that in a little bit. Today, more than ever, the secular world and the religious world are separating. No longer is America a Christian nation. And if we are being frank, it never was meant to be. It was created to be a place for all religions to come and assimilate. John Locke outlined this idea when he described small government and religious tolerance. If we accept what Augustine wrote when he talked about the city of God an the city of man, we can apply it to today, even though we live in a secular nation, we are part of God’s Kingdom. We live for Christ, and need to show the world what it is like to be a Christian in a secular world.

Francis of Assisi was born in the 13th Century AD, and spent his life as a reforming monastic order. Throughout time we see the mission of

monasteries changing. St. Anthony formed desert monasticism to combat the exuberant riches of his time. Later came St. Benedict who created the Benedictine monastery to combat poverty, and make a comfortable home for those willing to live as a monk. And then Francis stepped into the picture. St. Francis strongly believed that to be a monk does not mean to live a lavish life, but one of poverty. He preached humility and helping those in need. He never lived anywhere but Assisi, but made a world of difference in his little community.
We can all live like Francis of Assisi.

In fact, we all should live like Francis. In our ever-changing culture, we must embrace those around us, help those who have less than us, and stay humble and true to who we are. Francis took this idea to the extreme. He left his life of wealth to live a life of nothing. He wanted people to see him as trustworthy, and caring. In his “Rule of Franciscan Order,” Francis writes, “In their preaching their words be studied and chaste, useful and edifying to the people, telling them about vices and virtues, punishment and glory ” Francis wants all of us to preach clearly to those who are listening, and engage those who aren’t. We are called to preach difficult topics because that is what saves people. If we don’t go into the culture with the same worldview as those we are preaching to, why would they listen? If an atheist came to church this Sunday without any understanding of Christianity and told us to change, what is his baseline for telling us we are

wrong?
Francis, and even St. Anthony dropped everything they had to be monks. As Christians today, however, we do not need to sell everything we have and give it to the poor, I do not think that is what Francis would want us to do, and I do not think that God wants us to do that. Instead, we should give up our time, and our efforts to better the community. Instead of buying the newest iPhone, we can donate money to a local charity. We can help fight homelessness by working at a food pantry on Saturdays instead of going to the football game. We learned in lecture that Francis wanted us to live like Christ did, and that is a simplistic, and generous life. In the fallen world today we can be a light to those who are less fortunate. I am a firm believer in short term missions, each and every Christian can be like Francis for a week of two in the summer and give all they have at an outreach camp at their church, or an English camp in Hungary. We can be an instructor the unwise, a shelter for the homeless. God calls us to help our community by any means possible. As Christians we must assist the Syrian refugees in their fight for their homeland, we need to wage war on poverty, and not poor people. If we, as Christians, drop everything we have for a little bit, the community around us will change. We don’t need to adopt societies beliefs, but accept that they have a worldview, just like we do. And the only way to work with them, is to accept that worldview, and work from there.
Here at Bethel we want to be salt and light to the world, and the only way to show the world Gods power is to go into the community, learn their ways, see their culture through their eyes, and share our own. Francis lived a life of poverty to show his dependency on God, and his willingness to empathize with those with whom he was called to help.
If you go back to the second century AD and ask Tertullian how to relate to culture, you wouldn’t get the same response. Tertullian believed in separation. He wanted Christianity and Philosophy to be totally separate. To Tertullian, there was absolutely no room for philosophy in religion, and religion in philosophy. This ideology still creates a great divide Christianity and the culture of the day. Back when Tertullian was around, great philosophical strides were being taken, and he wanted nothing to do with them. He writes, “What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem? What harmony is there between the Academy and the Church? ” In some cases being a Christian and totally separated from a cultural is good, abortion is an example of this. However, when you want nothing to do with what society is doing, you are no longer being a humble Christian, but a self righteous one. Francis fought for assimilation, Tertullian fought for segregation.
In todays society, it is becoming harder and harder to be a Christian, and not be looked down upon, or thought of differently. Our different worldviews don’t always go with the cultural norms. But neither did Francis’ ideas. Nobody willingly decides to be poor. But in many cases living poor brings you closer to the cultures that need saving the most, this is what Francis realized, utilized, and practiced. Tertullian fought, opposed, and rejected. But as Christians we need to embrace, love, and live.