Stepping Down or Stepping Up?
A few years ago our daughter Mary Evelyn led homeschooling students as they presented the play, “The Cross Behind the Curtain.” Based on real events from the 1960s, the play told the story of Christians who suffered for their faith behind the Iron Curtain, including people who took the great risk of homeschooling their children inside the U.S.S.R.
After the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union and many Eastern European countries in the late 1980s, the Christian faith has grown tremendously there. Last week our daughter Bethany and her husband Gregory heard lectures about the current conflict between Russia and the Ukraine. While one of the lecturers, who has spent much time in Russia, discussed the conflict and the possibility of American involvement in it, he noted that one of the reasons Russians oppose America is because of the immorality they see in our pop culture.
This reminded me of a discussion Ray and I had many years ago with a friend from the nation of Lebanon. He said that one reason America is opposed in the Middle East is because of the immoral movies and television programs we export. Imagine what people in other countries think about Americans if all they ever learn about us is through movies and television! It is time for Christians to be the ones exporting:
. . . whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute,
if there is any excellence
and if anything worthy of praise . .
Philippians 4:8
Ray and I have been blessed to visit two art museums with art arranged chronologically, the Art of Institute of Chicago and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. When we got to the medieval period in both museums, we saw piece after piece that was created to honor Jesus and the events of the Bible. Here are two examples from the Nelson-Atkins.
in Vic, Spain, c. 1150-1170
Gherardo di Jacopo Starna, called Starnina
Why have Christians stepped down and given the control of so much of our culture to unbelievers?
The Ukrainians and the Russians export their beautiful art.
Created by My American Friend, Pat Wilhelm
Let’s step up. Let’s find ways to support Christians who are creating (and exporting) what is in keeping with Philippians 4:8. Let’s go to their movies, buy their art, and spread the word about their music. Let’s crowd out time for pop culture and protect children from its evils by filling their lives with what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, and worthy of praise. Let’s inspire our children to be part of a generation of Christians who excel at whatever gifts God has given them and who honor Him through those gifts. Let’s teach them:
Whatever you do in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Colossians 3:17