Identity Crisis in the West
I was 12 years old when my parents bought me a portable stereo system. It was nothing fancy but it gave me some sixth grade street cred. I wore out cassette tapes on that little stereo. It was the eighties.
At the end of sixth grade our teacher told the class that we would have a party and that we were allowed to bring our stereos to school. It was perfect, I would be the life of the party. The day came and just as I had hoped, my friends and I were bopping out to oldies music. Don’t ask me why, it’s just what we liked. The six D batteries were humming as I cranked up the volume…until a second stereo showed up. Another guy had brought his and it was bigger and better. He was blasting License to Ill by the Beastie Boys, drowning out my golden oldies. How could I compete? I turned up the volume and he answered in kind. It was a boom box battle and I was losing.
The Church in the West is facing a similar struggle on a bigger scale with higher stakes.
For a long time it has seemed as though Church and Culture in the West have been playing the same music, but that has changed and Culture’s volume is increasing.
Whatever harmony the Church experienced with Culture has grown dissonant and we are facing an identity crisis. It seems as though the Church in the West is growing more and more irrelevant, losing influence, and the power the Church once took for granted or even leveraged is slipping away.
Although this may feel unprecedented to us in the West, this is chartered waters for the Church in other parts of the world and in ages past. The church was born in the adversity of cultural opposition and it’s very identity was formed in that context. Ever since its inception the Church has had to continually understand its identity in relationship to the surrounding cultures. It is our heritage.
We are to take heart that this crisis of identity is not new. Not only that, I believe it is a good thing for at least 3 reasons:
It restores us to our true love
Jesus addressed seven churches in the book of Revelation, all of them facing identity crisis at some level. To the church in Ephesus, Jesus says, “You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” (Revelation 2:4b-5a, NIV) As we find ourselves less like our culture we are given clarity that leads to repentance. This repentance is a returning to the love of the Father, to re-discover our identity in him and have the confidence to persevere. We have an opportunity to forsake idolatry and the false-promises of power, comfort, and security and return to the one true lover of our souls.
It clarifies our mission
To the church in Pergamum Jesus said, “I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. (Revelation 2:13, NIV) Even in the heart of immense opposition, this church is commended for staying on course. They are living in a way that is reflective of the true name of Jesus, which must have been in sharp contrast with “Satan’s throne room”. The Church in the West must not panic at the increasing contrast with culture. It is an opportunity to clarify our mission to be a light, to demonstrate the love and power of God’s Kingdom in this world.
3. It compels us to re-imagine loving our neighbor
To the church in Sardis Jesus said, “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.” (Revelation 3:2, NIV) I pray that the Church in the West has unfinished deeds! What new opportunities for the sake of Christ and his gospel lay in front of us? How might we wake up to our calling and re-imagine our presence in this world. How might we wake up to the needs of our neighbor? This crisis of identity is a gift, not just to the Church, but to the world.
The seventh church addressed in Revelation is Laodicea and it might as well be written to the church in the West. They had become so immersed in their culture that they were described as lukewarm. A hot bath is soothing. A cold shower is invigorating. But lukewarm is useless. Jesus declares to them, “be earnest and repent.” (Revelation 3:19, NIV). This is a word for us!
The Church’s response to a changing culture is not to adjust the volume. It won’t work. The good news is that the Church is not a loudspeaker at all. It is a light, a lamp that has been established by Christ and burns bright in the power of the Holy Spirit. This crisis we increasingly find ourselves in is an opportunity, a calling to repent, to return to our one true love, our mission, and our ministry to the world. We are not at risk of losing our identity, we are at risk of regaining it.
Written by Jason Fischer, Lead Pastor at Heritage Church in Scottsdale, AZ.
