Counter-Sub-Culture

About 2 months ago I read an editorial article in the magazine Relevant that was discussing the failure of Christianity to exist as a counter-culture and it's subsequent integration into the mainstream as a sub-culture. That really got me thinking.

Subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong. They are social with their own shared conventions, values and rituals. What's important to note is that a subculture does not at it's root typically conflict with the mainstream, it is merely a dialect of the social language.

Enter the counterculture which is characterized by its systematic opposition to the dominant culture, in other words, the values are inherently counter to the social mainstream of the day.

I think most of us feel perfectly content existing as a Christian subculture. We get our own bookstores, we get the freedom to worship as we please in big comfortable buildings, we get tax-exemption status, and we get celebrities and politicians with our Christian title that we can feel OK about lining up behind. We get health, wealth, and the relative protection of our government because we are playing by the societal rules.

Unfortunately, we also have to make some sacrifices in the interest of the constitutional rights afforded to all subcultures. We do not get the ability to put up our ten commandments on a courthouse wall, because neither does any other subculture. We do not get the ability to pronounce our gospel or our God as the only way, because neither does any other subculture. And so on and so forth.

Realistically, there are a lot of things we have to sacrifice in order to be a subculture, and I wonder if it's even possible to really be a follower of Christ in this day and age and not be counter-cultural.

It seems to me that Jesus is a case-study in counterculture, not out of obsitance or a desire to be different, simply because the Way that He prescribed as the Truth IS different at it's very core from the social norm. Seriously, can you proclaim to be the only Way, Truth and Life without being countercultural, really?

Whoever heard of generousity being the moderator of equality? But Jesus says it is. It's contrary to our basic American idea of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" to say that we should do what is best for others over ourselves, that we should give instead of hoard, sacrifice instead of preserve, and pursue peace instead of assert our rights. But Christ taught us to do all these things if we would have His Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven.

You see, real Christianity is inherently countercultural to the American way of life. Treating it as a subculture effectively kills it. We have become "luke-warm" by attempting to blend in to the cultural landscape. And ironically, we have forsaken the call to become "all things to all people" by trying to make the gospel relevant instead of just living it and letting everyone see how relevant it is.

We should fear the comfortable existence of our faith in society, not the persecution of it. I mean, come on, our ultimate role model and Teacher was killed because of what He taught and lived, and so were all of his closest companions. But it's ok for us to live in a pocket of pleasure and societal acceptance, never venturing out or swimming against the current of cultural teaching, even though He said we WOULD be persecuted for our faith and we should count it all joy?

Jesus is relevant, and the proof of that is in the way He meets the needs that nothing else in our indulgent, materialistic, self-centered society is able to do, no matter how long and hard we pursue them. That is what we need to live. We are not the change we want to see in the world. Christ is the change the world needs, we are simply the hands and feet of that change. If we will not be afraid to be it.