The Phil Files

It’s vacation time and I’ve been doing some more reading. I’m still wading through Thomas L. Friedman’s very important book, The World is Flat and I’ve deeply read, not just skimmed, Rob Bell’s interesting little book called Velvet Elvis. In addition, I’ve been exploring the Gospel of Matthew and noticing the questions asked by Jesus — and to a lesser extent, the questions asked about Jesus.

This has been an interesting combination. Friedman’s book really has no overt integration point with faith. In fact, that dimension is entirely absent as he looks at our flat world and what it will take for our children and grandchildren to compete in this world. Yet when mixed with Velvet Elvis, a whole world of possiblities, connections, and implications emerge. Spending time listening to Jesus’ questions has also reawakened me to the power of Jesus’ teaching style, depth of conviction, frustration with religion, and force of character. Jesus’ questions have sizzled in my heart as I have read both of these books.

While you may not immediately sync with Velvet Elvis and Bell’s presentation of being a Christ-follower today, you need to know that your kids, if they are in any kind of up and coming youth group are familiar with his work through the Nooma video series. His message not only gains traction with post-modern young people and adults — my own nephew heard in it his own call to be some sort of minister of some kind — it often stirs something powerful in them and moves them toward Jesus. I believe the book is powerful and profound even though it is very short. Even more, it gives you a comprehensible lingo to speak to younger folks about faith in ways that matter. The character of a true Christ-follower, as Bell presents it, opens up a set of values that becomes a powerful tool for our young people to navigate the flat world with integrity, faithfulness, and respect. It calls Christ-followers to a life of sacrifice and surrender, something that Friedman’s book suggests is lacking in most of Western culture’s falling behind in the education and life skills necessary to be a player in the emerging flat world with China, India, and Russia-Eastern Europe brain banks.

Bell’s call to recognize how our faith interacts with all of our world speaks powerfully to the ethic necessary for compassionate flat world existence described as necessary by Friedman. I can’t help but hear many of Jesus’ questions echo through the issues where these two books intersect. Once again, I am humbled, even a bit shamed, at having to recognize afresh the power of the Lord’s call to his followers that is transcultural and trans-chronological. Jesus’ ministry and teaching, along with his questions, can still easily penetrate the heavy armor of culture and time if we will hear them with fresh ears — “Let the one who has ears to listen really hear!”

If you are a die-hard supporter everyting the evangelical media is pumping out, you may find both books a little troubling. That’s all the more reason to read them. Our world is in the middle of a profound change. The world is becoming more open than ever to us as citizens of the planet and followers of the Messiah. We must re-think who are called to be, how we present God’s timeless good news in Jesus, and the way we live in this emerging world as an outpost of Jesus’ grace.

If following Christ has become less important in American culture in our time (because of the reputation of today’s “Church”), how will it do in the world of ideas of a flattened and readily accessible to the educated world? How will we communicate the need to seek Jesus to a world that links Christianity with so much that is wrong in America? Isn’t this all a call to awaken from our religious personality-dominated culture and seek Jesus and his way for ourselves, our families, and our religious communities in fresh incarnations by going back to his ministry, values, and message?

At this time of great opportunity, I know I need to get back into the message of Jesus more than ever. I must “de-encrust” it of all my church and cultural baggage and find myself once more a passionate Christ-seeker rather than a modern Christianity expert and church defender.

Interesting and challenging times are ahead. But, I am convinced that the world has never been more accessible with the genuine message of Jesus and more ready to hear that message, than it is right now and will be in the coming years. I sure don’t want to get caught napping or resting on my religious laurels when the next great awakening occurs. In a flattened world, we will need the leaven of Jesus’ grace and the genuineness of authentic fellowship make life rich, full, and truly human. What a great time to rise to the challenge and follow Jesus!

Come Holy Spirit, and touch our world with holy fire and make me a useable vessel for the Messiah’s message of compassion and character!