The shaping of culture takes place through individual decisions made by persons of influence. A single individual can make a difference that can modify the mindset of a generation. Influence can be one of the greatest tools for the good or a weapon of mass destruction. When cultural shifts occur, the agenda and origin of change is rarely explored.
The ebb and flow is reinforced by art, media, entertainment, and yes even politics, while the ideals are embraced as the people’s new reality. Culture is ordained by God but constructed by mankind. The distinctions between people-groups provide an expression of faith in the One True and Living God if He is sought after and the pursuit of Him is not compromised. The beauty of cultural diversity with an overruling standard unifies us while it protects us from uniformity. The horrors of diversity occur when it is sought after without a guiding principle. It is when every person seeks independence from the rules that govern life and does what is right in his or her own eyes. Cultural values must be guarded and guided towards the higher good. The necessary changes ought to be as the result of knowledge rather than convenience or preference. If the whims of society determine the direction of culture, the erosion from within would eventually lead to its demise. Individuals may know what they wish to see happen, but all of us need help in knowing what is best for us. Time tested truths have many witnesses throughout history, yet so many repeat the mistakes of history expecting different results.
Our nation in its Preamble to the Constitution speaks of “a more perfect union.” Unity with the aim of perfection is a grandiose goal. Its target is set on absolute truth, the only perfect standard. If there is such a thing as absolute truth, then there must be One who models that standard before us to whom we must adjust if we are to ever progress. Slavery was the Achille’s Heel of America. The residue remains even to this present day. It expressed the devaluing of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for some while the Constitution speaks of it as a privilege for all. The exception clauses impede motion in the direction of “a more perfect union.” The issues are exacerbated, leading to the devaluing of the unborn and the infirmed. Independent decisions affirm activities initiated as result of the man’s fall, where Adam’s sin affects all who are brought forth from his loins. Instead of striving towards a more perfect union, the bar is lowered in order to reconcile and unify the contradictions that reside within all mankind. Since sin is the nature of fallen man, the religion of those who believe in the absoluteness of God as Holy are holding on to an archaic belief system that does not fit in with the liberties man is now free to express. The implication is to establish a more “pliable” union rather than a more “perfect” union.
There is a need for people who will raise up the foundation of previous generations. The divide between what is practiced and what Christians are to profess must be bridged. If there was ever a need for a revival, that time is now! There are so many expressions today to reinforce the opposing view that God’s Truth is hidden among the rubbish of the world. Judgment has begun first with the Church, the ground and pillar of truth, with the intent of bringing her to repentance for her neglect. We have been called to reconcile the world to Christ and not to the eroding standard of the world. There is room for cultural diversity if we adhere to the best of what each culture offers rather than embracing the idea of exclusivity. We need our White brethren to stand with us, but even if they don’t know it, they also need us if the Body of Christ is ever to become one.