Starting Conversations That Can Change Culture

By: Focus On The Family

In his seminal work How Should We Then Live?, Francis Schaeffer brought the idea of worldview to bear on the church in the Western world. As he chronicled the rise and decline of Western thought and culture, one thing became clear to his readers; something must be done before the church as a whole is lost.

That question which troubled Schaeffer in 1976 continues to ring through our ears today. He urged his readers to understand which way culture was flowing and to not only sit on the shore and watch but to do something about it. There is hope! God has not left the world without a remnant of faithful men and women who are passionate about the truth of God entering into every facet of our lives. Having conversations on hard topics is a great step towards biblical worldview formation.

Is there a conflict between Science and Christianity?

Many of those in the next generation (now called GenZ) are concerned that the Bible cannot keep up with the pace at which Science is dealing out the facts. In their minds, and among their friends, anyone who believes the Bible over Science is a radical or a fanatic. We can show them that a correct interpretation of the Scriptures speaks directly to what is being discovered by scientists all over the world.

Is the Bible reliable?

We have very good reasons to believe that the Bible is the completely reliable, infallible, and inerrant Word of God to man. From things like the transmission of the New Testament to the canonization of Scripture, we can be confident that the Bible we read is the complete and unchanging revelation of God himself.

Does life have any meaning?

Ecclesiastes tells us that God has set eternity in the hearts of man. (Eccles. 3:11) Saint Augustine, expounding on this verse makes the point that our heart is restless until it finds rest in God. In another bible story, we hear of two men who speak to Jesus after his resurrection. Their words are the same words spoken silently by many who are hungry for meaning; “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32 NIV)

How do societies flourish?

Believe it or not, the younger generation is very concerned with things like vocation, economics, and education. When people discover a deep theology that touches what they thought to be irreconcilable pieces of their lives, they begin to develop a renewed passion for faith and work.

How do I know what’s wrong and right?

As our culture takes a hard drive towards relativism, our youth are getting caught up in the avalanche of confusion. We can implement what Schaeffer called “taking the roof off.” This involves exposing the weaknesses and inconsistencies of other worldviews. There is only one blueprint that explains all aspects of life and can be lived out consistently, that is the worldview.

How can a good God allow evil to exist?

This may be one of the greatest challenges facing Christendom today. Several religions around the world seek to answer this either by dismissing evil altogether or calling it a mere illusion. The Bible points to the God Who cares about our suffering and has provided a way, in his Son, for us to stand up underneath it.

Why hope in anything at all?

Where is the hope in a worldview that tells us we were an accident of the cosmos, we have no direction and purpose in life, and when we die our bodies create fertilizer for future flower beds? In the pages of Scripture, we are told of a hope of future glory. We’re told of a King who will come and wipe all of our fears, failures, and doubts away. We will be with Him in a place where suffering and sorrow have no place and joy will be ours forever. That is the biggest reason to hope in anything at all.

We’ve only explored these topics briefly but we hope in upcoming articles to expound more fully on questions like these, among a whole host of others. Worldview formation is essential in the church, in our families, and in our communities, not only for the purposes of challenging other worldviews but for the purpose of knowing our place in this world, our call to cultivate culture, and our hope for a future glory.

Article supplied with thanks to Focus on the Family Australia.

About the Author: Focus on the Family provides relevant, practical support to help families thrive in every stage of life.