Areopagus

Among missional Christians, Paul’s presentation of the gospel at the Areopagus in Athens (Acts 17) is a favorite passage to show us how to interact with the surrounding culture. Paul masterfully used his observations of their temples and poets as a springboard to proclaim the Lordship of Jesus. But this raises an important question for us. What is our Areopagus? Where in our culture do people exchange ideas?

There are many places we do this. For many of us, the various sites of interest and discussion forums on the Internet provide a place for people to speak on all manner of subjects. As nice as it would be, Christians don’t typically spend their days doing nothing but theology. They work. They have hobbies. They have families. Participation in forums related to any of these provides the opportunity for us to build friendships outside the church. But be careful. While we want to share what is important to us, namely the good news about Jesus, we must be careful not to view our non-Christian friends as notches on our spiritual belts to be quickly discarded once they’re firmly in our out of our camp. That won’t do at all. Be friends because it’s the proper human thing to do. Sure, save your closest and deepest friendships for those who share the hope of resurrection and eternity with God, but don’t neglect those who need to hear the good news.

Media is another place where ideas are exchanged in culture. Gaining access to this venue is difficult, but for those with the talent and skill, the benefits are enormous. People get most of their ideas from their friends, but they also get them from popular culture. Music, movies, books, and news all provide avenues to share ideas and world views through art, imagination, and observation of the world. This does not always mean that you have to retreat to a Christian subculture to create this art. As large as the Christian music and movie industries are, the world at large will benefit from Christians working in these industries and making art that is accessible to all.

For those on the observational front, one popular means of using pop culture to relate to Christian themes is to discuss movies and books for the Biblical themes implied or inherent in them. One such example is Bible studies based on hit movies. Though films such as The Matrix or Spiderman 3 were not necessarily created as Christian films, moral ideas and philosophies are explored that provide fertile ground for conversation. Rich Tatum has gone so far as to create Bible studies based on these movies. In the process, he has endured some criticism, but he makes a worthy defense with the blog post: Hollywood: The modern Areopagus.

This is only one way, of course, and it’s designed primarily to engage those who are willing to attend a Bible study. We also need to engage our culture at ground level. This is accomplished by serving others, helping our our communities, and caring for those in need. But what then? When people see us loving God, loving each other, and loving those around us, they will want to know why. Studies like this can provide the means to engage people in conversation about familiar themes, then relate to the Truth we believe and desire to share with the world.

What do you think? How do you relate to the culture at large?