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FOUR - OPPORTUNITIES AMONG SECULAR POST-MODERNS
Given the realities we have examined so far it would be easy to see post-modern secularity as a huge threat to the church and to our faith in Jesus Christ. But post-modernism is not the enemy, it is simply the way things are. God has not lost control of this world. He is still here, shaping and guiding events. If secular post-modernism is the way things are, then God has sprinkled seeds of opportunity all over the landscape, waiting for those with the eyes of faith to spot them and encourage their growth and development.
The best way to overcome the barriers against persuasion secular post-moderns have erected is to deal with them the same way that Jesus dealt with people. And that is to meet them at the point of felt need, that place in their life where they are searching for something better than what they have now.
Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, "Follow Me." (MH 143)
What is most interesting in this quotation is the fact that Jesus left the direct spiritual appeal to last in a series of five steps. He spent time with people, "mingling" in conversation, showing sympathy, meeting their needs, and winning their confidence before He challenged them with His unique mission. His method is still the best method.
In reaching out to today's generation it is helpful to know that there are a number of general "felt needs" that are widely shared. Several of these felt needs come very close to direct, spiritual interest. Even better, many of these felt needs intersect with some of the unique strengths that Adventists bring to the Christian mission. By impacting people at a point of felt need, we gain access to their lives, which allows the Holy Spirit to use us in bringing them gradually to an acknowledgment of their real need for the gospel.
A Need for Commitment
People today sense a need for commitment to something or someone greater than themselves. It is a need to transcend the ordinary at some point in their existence. People cannot be satisfied with an endless round of routine tasks. In the absence of any clear understanding about God, people may seek to meet that need by a commitment to relatively trivial things like sports teams, or the causes of their country or ethnic group. More and more people are committing themselves to the ecological survival of the earth, recycling and reducing consumption so as not to overburden the environment.
Adventism is uniquely positioned to make a difference here. We can present the greatest Person and the greatest issues that anyone could possibly commit themselves to. The environment of the entire universe for all eternity is at stake in the work of the gospel. We can meet this need as we learn how to tie in the issues of the Great Controversy to the kinds of issues that most people are talking about on a day to day basis.
Release from Guilt
While secular post-moderns may feel uncomfortable with the term "guilt" in light of its Judeo-Christian associations, they will usually recognize the need for release from the sense of failure to live up to their own expectations--the failure to achieve their own hopes, their dreams, and their best intentions. Most persons, whether or not they know anything about the Ten Commandments, have a strong sense of where they want to be in life. The failure to achieve that leaves a sense of brokenness that cries out to be fixed. Many may deny that brokenness, or drown it in alcohol, drugs, or promiscuity, but that brokenness can ultimately be fixed only at the cross.
Genuine Relationships
One of the striking characteristics of secular post-modernism is the crying need for genuine relationships. Post-moderns are the most abused and neglected generation in history, as their parents strove to achieve "success" in secular, modernistic terms and children were often "in the way." On top of that a digital, online world has caused people to live noisy and distracted lives. They are rushing here and there and relationships tend to be superficial at best.
At a personal level, a committed Christian who is willing to enter into sensitive, non-judgmental and authentic relationship with secular post-moderns will find open arms waiting. It is more difficult for church-groups to meet this need. Many have avoided church because of the perception that church people are inauthentic and superficial, and thus incapable of meeting their deep relational needs. But the loss of the extended family, where several generations along with cousins, aunts, and nephews all live in close contact, affords a new opportunity. Brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents are scattered all over the country, often all over the world. Rightly handled, the church has the potential for providing a sense of extended family for those torn away from their own families of birth. As an alternative to bars and pubs as a gathering place for developing relationships, the "café church" concept has real potential.
Life-style Direction
Today's generation earnestly seeks lifestyle direction. The number one selling category of non-fiction books is self-help; self-help for maintaining cars, self-help for home-repairs, self-help for marriage, self-help for personal finances, etc. At a time when personal identity is in question a major concern, especially for the younger generation, is to figure out what to do with their lives.
Frankly, there is no faith anywhere that offers more direction for people's lifestyle than does the Adventist faith. I suspect that we do not always present our faith in an effective or meaningful way. But if we can learn to present Adventist lifestyle guidelines from a principled and logical perspective rather than as rigid rules we have much that will be attractive to the average person on the street.
Areas of lifestyle direction that most people today would welcome include sound, mainstream health principles, stress management, personal finance, and time management. There is already much material available on these matters. But Adventists are unique in our ability to integrate lifestyle direction into a comprehensive worldview (Great Controversy/cosmic eschatology) that provides unity and meaning to every area of a person's life. If we can learn to express our convictions in up-to-date language, we may be surprised at the kind of people who will be anxious to become involved.
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