To say that we live in interesting times is probably the understatement of the year. Unlike many a generation before, we are facing a cultural shift that is both fast-paced and directed at multiple fronts that it is hard to pin down its immediate and long-term effects. The Church – particularly in Western Europe – isn’t just declining because of its scandals or its chasing after cultural relevance, but more so because of its inability to transfer true, genuine and biblical faith to the next generation. The percentages of biblical illiteracy among generations x,y, and z are more than alarming. According to recent studies, the proportion of young adults (16-29) with no religious affiliation are staggering. A few generations ago, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. wrote: ”There was a time when the church was very powerful – in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.” Jesus’ words, “upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18, KJV) sound fictional, impotent, and unrealistic. Still, against the backdrop of this dark canvas God desires to paint a marvelous painting brim with hope.
To say that we live in interesting times is probably the understatement of the year. Unlike many a generation before, we are facing a cultural shift that is both fast-paced and directed at multiple fronts that it is hard to pin down its immediate and long-term effects. The Church – particularly in Western Europe – isn’t just declining because of its scandals or its chasing after cultural relevance, but more so because of its inability to transfer true, genuine and biblical faith to the next generation. The percentages of biblical illiteracy among generations x,y, and z are more than alarming. According to recent studies, the proportion of young adults (16-29) with no religious affiliation are staggering. A few generations ago, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. wrote: ”There was a time when the church was very powerful – in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.” Jesus’ words, “upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18, KJV) sound fictional, impotent, and unrealistic. Still, against the backdrop of this dark canvas God desires to paint a marvelous painting brim with hope.
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