On the right is one of the many pop-Christianity memes and themes of the 21st century. Moral relativism can and is “simmering” into mainstream “orthodoxy” the same way that feminism, divorce, and homosexuality have. Perhaps being the end times we should all sing Kumbaya and await Jesus’ return, God knows how tempting that is!
“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ”
-Mark 13:28-37
When I first encountered the lovely theme above, the image was different. The “thans” were on ominous black backgrounds, and my first response was to laugh a little. Not an arrogant laugh, mind you, but an “it figures” laugh. I’ve seen plenty of these “make heaven on earth” challenges throughout my life. It’s so tempting to imagine the rest and calm, the joy and peace, of a world where there was no need for anyone to be concerned with “being right”, “decrying the broken”, or “pointing out error”. Where everyone only needed to “celebrate the beautiful“, “be a servant“, and “live the truth“.
In a recent post Ryan points out how the information age is offering free information to those who do not have the wisdom to use it. I’d go a step further and suggest that we’re being brainwashed. Brainwashed with memes like the above. Just consider how the meme above might have been used by the Pharisees in their offensive against Jesus:
1. Pointing out Error : Matthew 22:29 – “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”
Jesus: Guilty
2. Decrying all that is Broken: Luke 19:41-44 – “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
Jesus: Guilty
3. Being Right: Matthew 23:15 – “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.“
Jesus: Guilty
Apparently this is one of those memes designed to go viral because when one reads it, they immediately think about someone else, and post it on Mein Kampf (I mean Facebook), in hopes that it will get to work “convicting” someone of their “faults”. All while sins from the Bible are being celebrated by society at an unprecedented rate. Does any true-believer really think that we have so many Christians “pointing out error” that the Holy Spirit would like us to focus less on that and more on “celebrating the beautiful?” While I agree it’s a thoroughly important – even necessary – discipline to think on “good, noble” and even “beautiful” things. Things like God’s word, God’s law, God’s son who is guilty of all of the things that that meme is trying to suppress.
Does any true-believer really think that we have so many Christians “pointing out error” that the Holy Spirit would like us to focus less on that and more on “celebrating the beautiful?”
“Celebrating the beautiful”, does anything get more demonstrative of moral relativism than this? Does: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” ring a bell? Ironically, what is not so relativistic is the adjective “broken”. We are surrounded by “broken” people, “broken” systems, and a “broken” world. Yet, a well-meaning Christian woman would like us to focus less on that, and more on “celebrating”?
Here’s where I resist the urge to apologize to everyone that I’m offending. I’m brainwashed too. Brainwashed into apologizing for being an uncompromising follower of Jesus. The same Jesus that did everything that the meme tries to suppress. Please Dear Remnant, please don’t be lured into moral-relativism. Paradise cannot be made on earth before the end, no matter what well-meaning neo-Christians are led to believe. Instead Jesus said:
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn:
‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’”
-Matthew 10:34-36
Les, while I agree that God called us to a lot of things I think a life absent of “celebrating the beautiful” isn’t what God has called us to. To have children in this broken world is a beautiful thing. Yes, their lives are unpredictable, but the beauty of God is everywhere, and in our own children is a prime place to see it. I can’t look at the miracles all around and focus on “decrying the broken”. In Job, God called him out for that, despite just how broken his life was at that point. I won’t defend the meme as if it was scripture, but I do think she meant to focus on a life lived out of love and service, like mother Theresa, not that of a Pharisee, pointing out error and “being right”. When the Pharisee says Jesus broke the Sabbath by healing, was he” being right”? I believe technically he was so, but he missed the “heart of the law”, and I think that is what she meant. Yes, if we lived only by what she says we could easily turn our eyes from the difficult confrontations and live lives of peaceful ignorant bliss, frolicking through the daisies, but I think she is putting it in the context of the Bible, and just reminding us to focus a bit on example and love rather than accusing. There are times for that too, but everyone else’s sins shouldn’t be our focus. Accusers are very often right, but does that make them right?
Who is “she”?
Ann Voskamp, a popular Christian author, created the meme. I believe that is the “she” you were asking about.
I wonder how much of this is a difference in gender roles?
Are you assuming therefore that I am a female? I will say, the cursive points do seem like things females are better at, but I think we all need to do some of all of the above. But if you think that males aren’t called to notice beauty or be a servant, do you think it is your responsibility to make sure your wife (if you are married) feels beautiful and served?? Again, I think we all need to do all the things mentioned in the meme, but the idea to “focus” on some particulars comes in light of an accusatory nature of social media, so I am assuming the author is trying to inject some positivity into a negative culture, and asking us to rise above the standard we see. Jesus indeed called out evil and decried the broken, but He did not wallow in sadness, He lived out truth and was the example of a servant to all. In fact, if we fail to sing praises to God (which would be acknowledging His beauty despite the state of the world), will not the rocks and stones themselves begin to sing?
Voskamp is a female isn’t she?
I’m wary of anything that addresses society in general to do one thing more and something else less, as though the author knows that EVERYONE needs it. Hence the fact that so many of the articles here are basically reversals of these sorts of memes in hopes of adding counterweight to the imbalance. The direction of society and the popularity contest that has become modern theology, along with the points made in the article, lead me to believe that Christian men and women alike in general would do well to be more critical and less compromising. We’ve highlighted authors like Matt Walsh, for pointing out the overuse of “don’t judge” by secularized spiritualists who claim the name of Christ.
I appreciate your conviction, and no matter your gender, it is ultimately the Holy Spirit that calls us to express our different gifts as He sees fit. Irregardless of how popular any particular meme is.
Thanks so much for your thoughts. Would you like to post a counter-point article? I’d happily accept it so long as it references scripture (like the “rocks cry out”) however, please consider even that scripture. Those were public displays of faith that many Christians would be afraid to demonstrate these days. In fact, it’s pretty ironic that Jesus was yet again rebuking the “religious teachers” of the time with that quote.
I wonder if it wouldn’t be fair to say that if Christians do focus even less on “decrying all that is broken” and “pointing out error” that perhaps the earth will do that instead? Like it did to Korah’s deceived followers.
You compare Christianity vs. Jesus…
Let’s try Jesus vs, Yeshua…
No, they aren’t the same. The “Jesus” Christianity portrays is not the same person as the ‘Yeshus” the Scriptures portray.
Could you elaborate on what you mean? There are many ways one could take your response:
1. The Jews were right, and “Yeshus” [SIC] was “Beelzebub” and was executed justly.
2. That ALL of Christianity is wrong, and the Jews are wrong, and you have some special revelation that only you know?
3. That many Christians have been deceived as-to the nature of Christ, and have replaced mankind’s Lord & King with something more akin to a fictitious “Santa Claus” character that is just jolly and happy.
If you mean something like #3, then we’d be pretty close to agreement.
Sorry: Yeshua is the correct spelling, not Yeshus
The death and resurrection of Jesus are usually considered the most important events in Christian theology , partly because they demonstrate that Jesus has power over life and death and therefore has the authority and power to give people eternal life .