"Jesus Culture"

"Culture is a word for people's 'way of life', meaning the way groups do things. Different groups of people may have different cultures. A culture is passed on to the next generation by learning, whereas genetics are passed on by heredity."

If you've been walking in the faith for a while, you may have experienced different cultures of Christianity or Adventism specifically. Depending on where you live, how you are raised, which church you attend-- you can note obvious changes in culture. The way people worship together, the songs they sing, the way people dress, vespers experiences, similar vocabulary, trends in health.

And in so many ways culture is great. Culture is warm because as humans we love belonging, and when we become participants in Adventist or Christian culture, it makes us feel like we belong to a church. Culture can provide opportunities of faith networking and rituals that can help deepen our spirituality.

And yet lately I've been thinking that although culture is intrinsically valuable at heart and will be naturally created in the context of religion... it is also extremely dangerous.

The first reason why I believe we have to take caution with our beliefs and cultures of Christianity is that culture is exclusive. Cultures set expectations for the way people are to live and act. Culture groups then form tight fitting communities. And it can be difficult to witness to others when your culture is so strong. I think as humans we love pride, and to think that our culture is best. And while it's great to love your culture, it can also create walls between loving other people who aren't like us (who weren't raised in the same church, religion, or area of the world.) We may be tempted to think "they don't serve the same God as me". Not realizing that the God of the Universe is not confined to the culture we feel most natural or safe in. That He may be God of people groups and cultures and even religions we do not understand.

The second reason why culture can be dangerous is that often times, we take culture and begin to practice it- simply because it is what we are taught or used too. Culture is often passively learned, inherited by second nature- which means depending on where you come from, your culture will be different. (Some likely better than others.) But the problem is when we take our culture, and become active participants, without ever evaluating the why behind it. 

The third and most important danger, I believe about culture groups, is that for many of us, participating in the culture we create can be more important than the God we serve.
For example, as a member of a strict Adventist culture I may believe that by not watching movies, by eating healthy, and singing Christian songs with other believers, I am walking with God. And that because I am part of a culture, my faith is justified instead of seeking God's will and walking in a life of purity with a relationship with Him. We can let cultural values dictate how we live our life instead of going back to the Word of God and trying to seek Christ's standards on each issue. Or we can refuse to leave the culture we are used too, when Christ calls us, because we have overly attached one culture to our religion.

Somehow I believe that the Jesus we read about in the Bible was a cultural rule breaker. And that He might not just participate in one culture of Christianity if he was currently walking on the earth. I could maybe see Jesus tattooed or hanging out in bars, or traveling to different cultures and worshipping with different people groups. I think he would challenge what we believe a good "Christian culture" or "Adventist culture" looks like by teaching us to question our faith, teaching us what it means to be radically in love with Him.

I'm not trying to bash Adventist culture- I think it's great; conservative or liberal it's great if you know Jesus- and if your life is being transformed by Him. I think it's cool how so many Christians worship God in different ways. I'm just curious if Jesus were walking with us, how he would go about with relationships and communities, and culture. Like what would "Jesus culture" be like in comparison to Adventist or Christian culture? He calls us to love everyone, not only people like us. And He also calls us to be salt and light. So how do we do that? How de we create cultures that are inclusive not exclusive, founded on beliefs and religions not only inherited or learned (but upon studied out principles of faith), all the while keeping Christ's perspective of what really matters most (faith working itself out by our love).