Seeing Christ In Unredeemed Culture

I am becoming more and more rooted in the belief that the modern church has missed the mark in pointing the world to Christ. The focus within modern church-life is to get people to come to church so that they can hear about Jesus in our language and see Him through our lens. The fact is that most unbelievers simply aren’t attracted to church, a reality that creates a huge barrier to “showing them Jesus,” which I believe is the sincere desire of Christians. We invite them to church, but with all our enticing programs and slick presentations, we still aren’t making a dent on the growing population living in the most dangerous and volatile times this planet has ever seen.

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it; the world and all who live in it” says the Psalmist (24:1). That fact tells me that God can use anything and anybody at any time to express His love to mankind. Long have we known that God uses religious voices, but I think that the need of the hour is for us to see that He can also use non-religious voices to declare His truth.

The Bible says that God can speak through clouds, rocks, trees, donkeys, men, women, children, burning bushes, pillars of fire, – the list could go on and on. Here’s a question to reflect upon – can and does God speak through unredeemed culture today? I believe that He does.

Consider me an extremist if you want to, but I believe that even unbelievers can be (and are) used by God to express His love. I have seen His loving face and heard His gentle voice of affection in many non-religious aspects of modern culture.

It amazes me how many Messiah figures there are in movies. I believe the reason we love stories where the hero saves the day is because we know at a deep level that our Hero does exactly that. That’s why we rejoice when we see it onscreen.

I have heard the voice of the Divine Lover in so many things that I used to label “secular.” The whole idea that there are secular things in this world is a delusion. My God owns it all, controls it all, and uses it all for His glory. Even Satan himself can't take one inch of space or one millisecond of time unless my Sovereign Lord gives His permission.

Take music, for instance. I used to think that the Lord only spoke through religious songs, but I don’t believe that anymore. Can you think of non-religious songs that express the sentiment of your Father toward you? How about these:

I said I love you and that’s forever,
And this I promise from my heart.
I could not love you any better.
I love you just the way you are.

Or this one:
You are so beautiful to me.
You are so beautiful to me, can’t you see?
You’re everything I hoped for, you’re everything I need,
You are so beautiful to me.

One more:
Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world When you're heart's heavy
I, I will lift it for you
Don't give up
Because you want to be heard
If silence keeps you
I, I will break it for you
Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved
Don't give up
It's just the hurt that you hide
When you're lost inside
I, I'll be there to find you
Don't give up
Because you want to burn bright
If darkness blinds you
I, I will shine to guide you
Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up.

The first song is from Billy Joel, the second from Joe Cocker and the last one is Josh Groban. I don’t know if these men are believers or not, but nobody would call these songs “religious.” What if – what if we began to see Jesus in the medium of our culture and point Him out to others within those mediums? What would happen if you told an unbelieving friend that you can’t hear the song “Don’t Give Up” without hearing Jesus sing it to you. Do you think that, from that day forward, the song would be a witness to them of His love every time they hear it? I do.

Let’s redeem the movies and music and allow our Father to use it to speak to us and to minister to others. I know it’s a stretch when we come to musicians that blaspheme Christ, but ironically, even any talent they may possess originates from our Father. A prostituted gift is no less a gift.

May God’s Spirit broaden our understanding to realize that Jesus isn’t locked up down at the church building between Sundays, waiting for us to bring people to His house and introduce them. No, our Savior is on the move. He’s on the radio, at the movies, in the theater, on TV, at the concerts and on the sports fields and courts.

He is there, right in front of us all, at every minute of every day. May God give His church “eyes to see and ears to hear” and may we point others to Him that they might hear Him in their language and see Him through their own “lens.”