Arrested Development is a wonderful show that was unfortunately cancelled after 3 seasons. If you haven’t watched it then Netflix it pronto, because it is incredibly witty. I just watched an episode where Michael Bluth finally meets his son’s girlfriend’s parents. Though knowing the girl’s family is a conservatively Christian, he learns that her father is a pastor, which changes the way that Michael speaks and acts around the family. Later on in the episode, Michael is explaining something to the pastor’s wife about “in the secular world…” and “we in the secular world…” and so on. And to thicken the plot, the Christians are shown to have temptations that they then act on: the wife kisses Michael, begging him to show her “his secular way,” the husband beats up Michael and the daughter decides that she wants to “go all the way” with Michael’s son.
I think it’s hysterical. I just have to laugh at the situation, because I find truth in these stereotypes. Yeah, Christians are screw-ups. Who isn’t? The beauty is, it is things like this in our pop culture that will hopefully teach people that Christians are no better at life than anyone else. Whoever started the rumor that Christians were better than everyone in the secular world needs to be punched in the face. Ok, that may be pushing it, so how about they need to be punched in the face with love?
This also teaches us that Christians and non-Christians (for lack
of a better term) are in different cultures. The fact that Michael changed the way he acted around them shows that he was trying to respectful of their culture. The pastor’s wife clearly knows that is in a different world and needs to be taught the secular ways, or the ways of his culture.
The culture gap can be bridged by going into the secular world. There is no need to be afraid of entering into that world, because God is there before us preparing the way. There is great joy in entering into the secular culture and reaching out to those who have this stereotype in mind. Christianity is ultimately about breaking the social norm, so why not break the secular world’s stereotype? And we can only do that by entering into the secular world.
I also think there is a difference in being “in” the “secular world” with the purpose of reaching people and being so immersed in the culture and practices of the “secular world” that a Christian looses their light-ness. Christians are witnesses of a differnt way of life, and, while it is important to reach people where they are at, part of being a witness is bing different.
So, if we’re no better than anyone else, what’s our appeal? If we’re screw ups just like “everyone else” there is no reason to become a Christian, other than a post-mortem evacuation of earth, and I don’t see that kingdom of God anywhere in the New Testament. When we are baptized into Christ, we are cut from the root of our sins, enabling us to live in the freedom of the “new life” in Christ. We are different, and our life is better, even if we still make mistakes sometimes. This isn’t a point of pride, it’s our only gift to the world, that they can join the life living in us.
Emily I love this! I love this show and that episode is hilarious! I think it’s true like Dan Kimball says in his book “We Like Jesus but not the Church,” we as Christians put ourselves in a bubble. We both refuse to acknowledge the bubble or step out of it. It happens sometimes without us realizing. I think the point you make is awesome. Let’s step into the secular world fearlessly!Haha.