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July 2015
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Our
A Campus Magazine
Vol. 33 Issue 7
July 2015
Into The
PAGES
Editorial 04
What's Your Mould? 06
Aaboo Varghese
Dare to be Different 12
Alice Neumann
Virtual PeerPressure 14
Johns K. Lukose
Beer Pressure 16
Jacob Samuel
sXcs™Sp∏v 18
s{]m^. G{_lmw tPmk^v
Book Review 19
Jyothis Jacob Panicker
Cover: Children of UESI K Staff.
4. 4 ContactContactContactContactContact
Our
July 2015
The pulse
Prof. P.G. Varghese
“Train up a child in the way he
should go, and when he is old he will
not depart from it.” Prov. 22:6
“My son, hear the instruction of your
father, and do not forsake the law of
your mother.” Prov. 1:8
According to the illustrated Oxford
dictionary, ‘peer’ means a person
who is equal in ability, standing, age
etc. ‘Peer group’ is a group of people
of the same age, status, etc. ‘Peer
Pressure’ is a usage made to mean
the influence from members of one’s
peer group. A fresher in campus is
drawn to students of similar tastes
and interests. Gradually they adopt
the life style and habits of their
peers.
Youngsters have a tendency to
imitate their friends. Sometimes it is
out of sheer ignorance and without
realizing the consequences that
students follow certain habits of their
friends. There may be several
reasons which tempt the fresher to
try and venture into such dangerous
zones. In such areas, the pressure
will be so heavy that the innocent
adolescents very easily and quickly
fall into traps.
‘Peer Pressure’ may be of two
kinds, namely positive and negative.
5. 5ContactContactContactContactContact
Our
July 2015
Positive peer pressure is useful not
only to the individual but to the group
also. On the other hand, negative
peer pressure is harmful to the
individual and the group alike. They
are also called ‘dependent
pressures’ because they depend
upon many factors. In other words,
there are numerous causes behind
these pressures .For example, family
background, social set-up, financial
positions, religious status
etc…..affect the character and
conduct of people to a great extent.
UESI ministry is among the post-
matric students of India. We are
concerned about the young men and
women who study in institutions of
higher education. We need to think
how we can make a positive impact
on students. Can we think of forming
groups of students who will impact
their peers in a positive way? May
be, this group can make a conscious
effort to meet the freshers in the
campus and offer them support to
make their campus life meaningful
and successful. Suggestions to
make the best use of the facilities in
the campus and guidelines to
develop effective study methods
may be given. Dangers of
experimenting with addictive habits
and associating with extremist
groups may be laid out before them.
Thus UESI can become agents of
positive peer pressure in the
campuses.
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The Topic For
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Our
July 2015
“Do not let the world squeeze
you into its mould” Rom.12:2
(J.B.Philips)
‘Peer pressure’ is the push coming
from people you tend to hang out
with. It means that we feel pressure
(either from inside or outside
ourselves) to be like other people.
Whether it is pressure to
conform to a group norm (like
wearing certain types of clothes) or
pressure to act (like trying drugs or
alcohol), peer pressure is something
everybody has to deal with. You
can’t escape it – it is everywhere.
Peers influence you, even if you
don’t realize it, just by spending
time with you. It’s only human
nature to listen to and learn from
people in your age group. How
successfully you handle peer
pressure depends a great deal on
how you feel about yourself and
your place in the world.
Peer pressure isn’t a bad thing.
Aaboo Varghese
7. 7ContactContactContactContactContact
Our
July 2015
Cover Story
It plays a big role in determining
who we are and how we dress, talk
and act. Peers can have a positive
influence on each other. You admire
a friend who is always a good sport
and try to be like him or her. May
be you got others excited about
your favourite book and now
everyone’s reading it. These are
examples of how peers influence
each other positively.
However, the phrase ‘peer
pressure’ is often used to refer to
negative pressure. Sometimes,
people act differently when they
are in a group and do things that
they’d never do on their own. Why?
Because we all lose some of our
identity in a group. And the normal
controls we put on our behaviour
can crumble before the need to fit
in and be respected by others. For
example, a few of your class mates
might get you to bunk classes with
them or friends in the hostel might
want you to join them in trying a
cigarette.
There are certain ‘risk factors’
for peer pressure i.e. personality
traits that make you more prone to
give in to peer pressure. They
include
• Lack of direction in life
• Low self-esteem
• Lack of confidence
• Uncertainty about one’s place
within a given peer group
• No personal interests exclusive
of one’s peer group
• Feeling isolated from peers and
/ or family
• Depression
• Poor academic performance
• Fear of one’s peers
Why do people give in to peer
pressure?
We can answer this question as
we consider some of our basic
human needs. All human
psychological needs boil down to
three basic needs – the need to
belong, the need for worth and the
need to achieve. Once our
physiological needs are met, we try
to meet these psychological needs
one way or other.
1. The need to belong
This is why God has put us in
families. We need love, security and
affirmation. In our peer groups we
try to gain acceptance. We want to
be liked, to fit in, because we worry
that our peers may make fun of us
if we don’t go along with them.
2. The need for worth
All human psychological
needs boil down to three
basic needs – the need to
belong, the need for worth
and the need to achieve.
Once our physiological
needs are met, we try to
meet these psychological
needs one way or other.
8. 8 ContactContactContactContactContact
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July 2015
Cover Story
None of us want to be treated
as scum. We want to be valued.
Often we get our worth from wrong
measures or yardsticks. We look at
our appearances, our abilities or our
background. But all of these are
external and we had no part in
deciding in all these areas. Thus
they are not quite valid yardsticks
by which to measure our worth.
3. The need to achieve
We live in a competitive world
where each on tries to be better
than the other. This makes us
compare and always feel good or
bad about ourselves. Our education
is designed to make things
competitive and for the survival of
the fittest. Everyone is trying to the
smartest, the brightest and the
ablest. We give in to peer pressure
in order to go ahead of the rest.
The essence is this. Peer
pressure happens, basically, when
we lose focus. Instead of focusing
on God and listening to what God
says about us, we start looking at
those around us. Then we start
worrying so much about what other
people do and what other people
think. Thus we let other people
influence our actions. Ultimately we
even miss out on what God is trying
to do with our life.
How do you prepare yourself to
face peer pressure and win?
The answer is simple.
# Get the basic fundas right. No
peer group in this world, including
our families, can meet our need for
belonging. Only God can. It is
liberating to know that God, the
creator of the universe is my father.
I may never know my full worth until
I know that God considered me so
precious that he gave His only son
for me. Even if I were the only sinner
on planet earth, he would have
gone through all the agony just for
me! Our worth is decided on one
precious truth - we were made in
God’s image. That is what makes us
special. And now we are recreated
in Christ Jesus to conform to the
image of His son. The Holy Spirit
gives us spiritual gifts and equips us
to serve Him. Thus you see the
triune God meets our deepest
longings and needs for love, worth,
acceptance and achievements. This
frees us to live our lives in His
Service rather than seek the
acceptance and attention of our
peers. What a liberating thought!
# Prepare yourself ahead of
time for uncomfortable situations,
This frees us to live our
lives in His Service rather
than seek the
acceptance and
attention of our peers.
What a liberating
thought!
9. 9ContactContactContactContactContact
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July 2015
Cover Story
mentally script out the reaction you
WANT to have in a given situation
(the reaction that goes AGAINST
peer pressure) and play that the
script our in your head over and
over again.
# Determine your convictions on
issues like sex, drug and alcohol and
do not allow any body to deviate
you from your position.
# Do not allow yourself to seek
comfort in making other people feel
bad or sad, flatly refuse to take part
in any thing designed to cause harm
or distress to another person. You
do not have to be angry or
confrontational. A comment like
“Let’s not bother with this” or “Why
do we need to do this?” is usually
enough to inspire others.
# Think of you as a leader and
act accordingly. The more you see
yourself in a leadership role, the
more comfortable you will feel
asserting your own opinions and
feelings.
# Refuse to let yourself down.
Often when we give in to peer
pressure it hurts the already fragile
self esteem creating a vicious circle.
If you think of giving in to peer
pressure as letting yourself down, it
becomes easier to combat and your
confidence will earn you respect.
When peer pressure kicks into high
gear it is easy to get caught up in
the moment and forget that you will
have to live with the choices you
make. If you do something that is
contrary to your character and core
value system, you will regret later.
When peer pressure raises its ugly
head, try to focus on that reality.
# Peers may seem unpleasant
when you speak up against the
group but the initial reaction will
blow over and you will likely find
that you were not so alone in your
feeling and that others will admire
you for doing what you felt was
right. Peer pressure only works if
you let it: if your refuse to let it
intimidate you, it loses its power.
The secret is to assert yourself
without becoming preachy or self-
righteous.
How to walk away from peer
pressure?
It is tough to be the only one
who says “No”, but you can do it
paying attention to your own
feelings and beliefs about what is
right and wrong. Inner strength and
self confidence can help you stand
10. 10 ContactContactContactContactContact
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July 2015
Cover Story
firm and resist doing something
when you know better.
It can really help to have at least
one other peer or friend who is
willing to say “No” too. This takes a
lot of the power our of peer
pressure and makes it much easier
to resist. It is great to have friends
with values similar to yours who will
back you up.
You probably had a parent or
teacher advised you to “Choose
your friends wisely”. Peer pressure
is a big reason why they say this. If
you choose friends who don’t use
drugs, bunk classes, smoke
cigarettes or lie to their parents,
then you probably won’t do these
things either, even if other kids do.
You can simply stay away from peers
who pressure you to do stuff you
know is wrong. You can tell them
“No” and walk away. Better yet, find
other friends and class mates to pal
around with.
If you continue to face peer
pressure and you find it difficult to
handle, talk to someone you trust.
Don’t feel guilty if you have done a
mistake or two. Talking to a parent,
teacher or counsellor can help you
feel much better and prepare you
to face peer pressure.
The Bible on Peer Pressure
Hiding God’s word in our heart
(Ps.119:11) has the potential to
influence our choices. Memorize
proverbs and other helpful Bible
verses as a reminder to resist peer
pressure.
Proverb 1:10, 15 says. “My son,
if sinners entice you, do not give in
to them. If they say ‘Come along
with us; let’s lie in wait for
someone’s blood’....do not set foot
on their paths; for their feet rush
into sin.”
Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man of
many companions may come to
ruin, but there is a friend who sticks
closer than a brother.”
Our Lord asks, “How can you
believe if you accept praise from
one another, yet make no effort to
obtain the praise that comes from
the only God?” (John 5:44)
A Note to parents and teachers:
Your child may be on the brink
of adolescence. Before long she will
begin to separate from you. She will
appear less willing to communicate
with you and more eager to turn to
one’s peers for acceptance and
ideas.
Now, while your child is still
receptive to your thoughts, take the
opportunity to equip him/ her to
You can simply stay away
from peers who pressure
you to do stuff you know is
wrong. You can tell them
“No” and walk away.
Better yet, find other
friends and class mates to
pal around with.
11. 11ContactContactContactContactContact
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July 2015
Cover Story
resist the onslaught of peer
pressure. Here are certain tips.
1. Cement family connections
Experienced middle school
teachers say that kids with secure
family ties resist peer pressure most
confidently. Strengthen your bonds
by spending time with your preteen
child doing things she/he likes to do.
Give her/ him lots of affirmation and
affection.
2. Discuss the stress of peer
pressure
Kids enjoy hearing stories of
their parents. Talk about the time
when you felt swayed by peers.
What did you do? Are you pleased
with how you handled the
situation? Do you wish you handled
it differently? Let your kids know
that you understand that it’s
difficult to stand up to peers.
3. Clarify your values
Verbalize your beliefs and your
scriptural basis. Cite practical
examples of how to live them out.
Be sure you hit on the issues your
child will face such as smoking,
drugs, alcohol, shoplifting, boy - girl
relationship, lying and cheating
4. Role-play potential
predicaments
Teach your child to recognize
peer pressure. Encourage him/her
to pause and consider one’s options
when pressurised. Practice phrases
applicable to a variety of sticky
situations such as, “No, thanks. I
don’t smoke. I want to stay healthy”
or “No, thanks. I don’t want to ‘go
out’ with anyone right now. Let’s be
friends instead”. Teach your child to
speak confidently, making eye
contact, thereby communicating a
firm refusal.
5. Offer praise
When your child acts
courageously and stands up to her
peers, praise her.
6. Encourage smart choices
Standing up to peer pressure is
tough for adolescents. Be gracious
when your child makes mistakes.
Exercise wisdom in allowing
freedom to pursue one’s quest for
independence while always
providing adequate supervision so
that the temptations one faces are
not more than one can bear.
(Aaboo Varghese is the Founder and
Director of Purnata, an NGO based in
Mumbai trying to put an end to human
trafficking. He was formerly a staff
worker of UESI. He may be contacted at
aaboov@gmail.com. This article was first
published in Campus Link, the magazine
of National UESI. Used with permission)
Teach your child to
speak confidently,
making eye contact,
thereby communicating
a firm refusal.
12. 12 ContactContactContactContactContact
Our
July 2015
Feature
Did you know that fish swim
against the flow of water? When
they are dead, they are carried with
the current. Daniel was a young man
who dared to be different. Taken as
a captive to serve the king of
Babylon, he and his three brave
friends decided to remain faithful to
the true and living God and not
follow the lifestyle of the royal
palace of Babylon. After ten days,
these four young men were healthier
and more handsome than all the
others! Besides, they were the
toppers in all the tests given by the
king!
When we leave the safe haven
of our home and enter universities
and colleges, especially in a different
location, we find ourselves in a new
world altogether. It’s a daily
challenge to maintain the discipline
and devotion that we followed with
guidance from our parents. “How
Alice Neumann
(Editorial Board member of
Our Contact)
13. 13ContactContactContactContactContact
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July 2015
Feature
can a young man (or woman) keep
his (or her) way pure? By guarding
it according to Thy Word...I have
laid up Thy Word in my heart, that I
might not sin against Thee.” Psalm
119:9,11. We must hang on to our
faith when the going gets tough.
Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of
our faith. He is the Friend who
understands each of us perfectly and
will never leave us.The Bible is His
love letter to us. We must hold on to
the truth of His never-changing
Word.
On the one hand is the ever
increasing mountain of studies to be
conquered. “The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs
1:7. God will give wisdom,
knowledge and understanding like
He did to Daniel. He will never
allow those who fear Him and trust
Him to be ashamed. Let’s prioritize
our relationship with the Lord.
“Take delight in the Lord and He
will give you the desires of your
heart.” Psalm 37:4
On the other hand are various
distractions and groups pulling us in
different directions- the acheivers
who are only interested in studies
and marks, the party crowd, the
sports buffs, the movie addicts, the
fashion mongers, the music makers,
etc. Suddenly we are faced with the
question, “Who am I really? Where
do I fit in?”
Peer pressure is the natural urge
inside us to belong... somewhere.
How about creating a positive peer
group like Daniel and his friends in
Babylon? They decided that they
would be themselves and not
become like everyone else around
them. It’s okay to be on the periphery
of different peer groups according
to your interests, but the primary
allegiance would be to a peer group
who are followers of Jesus. God
grants discernment and discretion
(ability to make good judgements
and do what’s right) to those who
ask Him. “...that you may be
blameless and innocent, children of
God without blemish in the midst of
a perverse and crooked generation,
among whom you shine as lights in
the world, holding fast the Word of
Life...” Philippians 2:15,16.
When we are sure that we belong
to Jesus, then we also belong with
others who have the same
convictions. I challenge you to pray
and look around for at least one
other person who shares the same
faith as you. Stand firm in that faith
and don’t compromise. Be like
Daniel and his friends. God will give
you favour with authorities and
peers.
Dare to be different
In this world of woe,
Dare to be different,
Child, I want you to know,
With a faithful heart
and a fearless faith
You can stand against
any wind of change.
When the torrent is flowing,
You can change the tide
By standing firm
in your convictions.
Standing for Jesus,
Rout all distractions.
14. 14 ContactContactContactContactContact
Our
July 2015
When twenty year old Raksha
Sharma committed suicide in
Jalandhar recently and attributed
the reason to obscene Facebook
comments by two friends, it
shocked many. One may never
understand Raksha’s frame of
mind and why those comments had
such an impact on her. But it raises
a question of how much pressure
social networking puts on
adolescents.
Adolescence is the age when
one looks for a group of
likeminded people of the same age.
Their happiness depends upon the
acceptance by the group members.
Virtual peer pressure is the new
peer pressure says Orly Katz Ph.D.
Facebook users can blacklist others
and encourage hate groups. In the
past only a small group knew if one
was rejected from a group. Today,
if rejected, everyone knows about
it and can see bad comments
immediately.
Nowadays young Facebook
Virtual
Peer
Pressure
Johns K. Lukose
Psychologist/Special Educator
Director, Life Skills Counseling Centre
Feature
15. 15ContactContactContactContactContact
Our
July 2015
Feature
users collect friends and “likes” to
demonstrate their popularity and
influence which can be used to
pressure peers. Everything is
assessed through these cold and
stressful measures: how many
friends someone has or how many
‘likes’ or ‘comments’ he got.
If rejected they certainly feel
depressed and sometimes they feel
that something is wrong with them.
They start doubting their worth and
may end up succumbing to the peer
feed. The more alcohol related
photos and posts teens saw from
friends on social networking sites,
the more often they drank alcohol
themselves.
Peer pressure – the desire to fit
in with others is a good thing. It is
part of God’s design for us. At the
very beginning He said, “it is not
good for man to be alone.” We are
meant to be in relationship and
community with other people.
The tern “peer pressure” is not
used in the Bible. But the Bible
tells us how we should deal with
daily challenges. It especially tells
us how to maintain healthy
relationships with others
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not
conform any longer to the pattern
of the world, but be transformed
by the renewing of the mind. Then
you will be able to test and approve
what God’s will is - His good,
pleasing and perfect will”.
In some ways peer pressure is
easier for believers to resist. As
believers we have God’s strength
on our side. When we take a stand
for God, we can see that it is the
winning side. So we should learn
and practice the norms of the Bible
and know how to say NO in a more
polite and godly way. May God
bless you to make an identity of
your own in this ever-changing and
fast growing world.
pressure.
American researchers, studying
1,500 fifteen and sixteen year old
students from a high school, found
that individuals who saw more
pictures of their friends partying or
drinking online were more likely
to try smoking and drinking
themselves.
A recent national study by the
Prevention Research Centre of
Michigan found that teens’ alcohol
and drug use is influenced by what
they see in the Facebook news
As believers we have
God’s strength on
our side. When we
take a stand for God,
we can see that it is
the winning side.
16. 16 ContactContactContactContactContact
Our
July 2015
Experience
Three days of sales review came to a
close. Laptops shut down. Files
closed. Now it’s time to relax, a time
to forget targets, achievements, and
budgets. The sale team of the
pharmaceutical company assembled
for dinner hosted by the Vice-
President, Marketing. To ease tension
and lift up spirits, bottles of ‘spirit’ were
spread. Brands of all kinds….one
could choose depending on taste and
capacity.
It was a new experience for Tom.
He sat in a corner sipping orange juice.
Raj, one of his friends joined with a
glass of beer in his hands. Surprised
at what he was doing, Raj asked “Hey,
Tom, what are you doing? Orange
juice in a cocktail party?”
“Oh! That’s fine, I’m not used to.”
Tom replied
“Hey man, even for me it’s not a
habit. But when we are in these kinds
of fellowships, we shouldn’t be noted
apart. Just a glass of beer for company
sake, that’s all.” Raj was quick to
respond.
Jacob Samuel
17. 17ContactContactContactContactContact
Our
July 2015
Experience
“I guess, I am in your company as
well, sipping orange juice.”
“Tom, listen, I was exactly like you
when I started. But I found I can put
up with this kind of occasions with a
bottle of bear. After all, bear has just
10% alcohol. It eases your body and
mind.”
“Raj, still it is alcohol, and it can
cause to crave for more. Moreover,
being a Christian, I ain’twanna try this
new habit, be it good or bad.”
“Christian? Who do you think I
am? Do you know, I go to church every
Sunday and on Christmas and Easter
eve, I make sure I see the Mass? I
don’t think you should mix religion with
drinks.”
“Well Raj, I believe Christianity is
much more than going to Church – It’s
a living relationship with the Lord
Jesus Christ, acknowledging Him as
Saviour and Lord and pleasing Him in
everything you do. I ain’twanna do a
thing that displeases my Lord.”
“Well, I leave it to you, but I don’t
think you can survive in this world with
such philosophy.”
“Raj, I know it is tough, but not
impossible. It’s Jesus who empowers
me to lead a life well pleasing to Him.”
“Ok, Tom, I’ll catch up with you
tomorrow, le’me go for another round.”
Raj sauntered away, back to the
parlour.
Jacob Samuel works for ESAF as Director-
Programs. He lives in Palakkad and is the
Managing Editor of Our Contact..
Horse Joke
Jack strode into ‘John’s Stable’ looking to buy a horse.
“Listen here” said John, “I’ve got just the horse your looking for,
the only thing is, he was trained by an interesting fellow. He doesn’t
go and stop the usual way. The way to get him to stop is to scream
heyhey the way to get him to go is to scream Thank God.
Jim nodded his head, “fine with me, can I take him for a test run?”
Jim was having the time of his life this horse sure could run he thought
to himself.
Jim was speeding down the dirt road when he suddenly saw a cliff
up ahead “stop!” screamed Jim, but the horse kept on going. No matter
how much he tried he could not remember the words to get it to stop.
“yoyo” screamed Jim but the horse just kept on speeding ahead. It
was 5 feet from the cliff when Jim suddenly remembered “heyhey!”
Jim screamed. The horse skidded to a halt just 1 inch from the cliff.
Jim could not believe his good fortune, he looked up to the sky,
raise his hands in the air, breathed a deep sigh of relief and said with
conviction “Thank God!”
19. 19ContactContactContactContactContact
Our
July 2015
Written by George Verwer,
the respected mission leader
and founder of Operation
Mobilization, this is a simple
but hard hitting book. The
author gives a broad overview
of mission all around the world.
He narrates numerous
experiences and gives many
practical advices.
He begins by focusing on the
need for grace in mission work.
We need to extend the grace we
received from the Lord to
others in order to move
forward. He points out various
areas in mission where grace is
required. Then he describes
about witnessing. He gives
many tips that nourish the
personal life of a witness. He
also emphasises the need for
discipline.
The author encourages those
who cannot become fulltime
workers to become mission
mobilisers. He describes the
wonderful things a mobiliser
can do. The importance of
prayer is also mentioned. One
of the biggest challenges faced
by missions these days is
finance. Verwer analyses the
different methods that are used
to mobilize
funds. While
he stresses
the
importance
of looking to
the Lord in
faith for
finance he
emphasizes
giving also.
In closing,
he calls for unity among
Christian organizations which
is very essential for the
sustainability of mission.
I strongly recommend this
book to all who want to know
more about mission and get
involved in mission. I am sure
that reading this book which is
full of actual life experiences of
God’s servants, will change
your perspective on mission as
it did mine.
Published by Authentic
Books, the latest printing of the
same is in 2013 and its price is
Rs. 59/-
Jyothis Jacob
Panicker
He is the District Co-
ordinator of Trivandrum.
Currently perusing M. tech
OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONEOUT OF THE COMFORT ZONEOUT OF THE COMFORT ZONEOUT OF THE COMFORT ZONEOUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE
Book Review
20. 20 ContactContactContactContactContact
Our
July 2015
On Friday, the US Supreme Court ruled
that same-sex couples can now marry in
all 50 states, setting off a flurry of reaction
by Christians and virtually everyone else
on social media and beyond.
I write from the perspective of a pastor
of an evangelical church in a country
where same sex-marriage has been the law
of the land for a decade.
I hope what I offer can help. It’s my
perspective. My fingers tremble at the
keyboard because my goal is to help in the
midst of a dialogue that seems far more
divisive than it is uniting or constructive.
Here are 5 perspectives I hope are
helpful as church leaders of various
positions on the subject think and pray
through a way forward.
1. The church has always been
counter-cultural
Most of us reading this post have been
born into a unique season in history in
which our culture is moving from a
Christian culture to a post-Christian
culture before our eyes.
Whatever you think about history,
theology or exactly when this shift
happened, it’s clear for all of us that the
world into which we were born no longer
exists.Viewpoints that were widely
embraced by culture just decades ago are
no longer embraced. For some this seems
like progress. For others, it seems like
we’re losing something. Regardless,
things have changed fundamentally.
But is that really such a big deal? For
most of the last 2000 years, the authentic
church has been counter-cultural. The
church was certainly counter-cultural in
the first century.Even at the height of
‘Christendom’ (whenever that was), the
most conservative historians would agree
that Christianity as embraced by the state
was different than the authentic
Christianity we read about in scripture or
that was practiced by many devout
followers of Jesus.
Being counter-cultural usually helps
the church more than hurts it.
If you think about it, regardless of
your theological position, all your views
as a Christian are counter-cultural and
always will be. If your views are cultural,
you’re probably not reading the scriptures
closely enough.
We’re at our best when we offer an
alternative, not just a reflection of a diluted
or hijacked spirituality.
2. It’s actually strange to ask non-
Christians to hold Christian values
As the Barna Group has pointed out, a
growing number of people inAmerica are
best described as post-Christian.
The question Christians in a post-
Christian culture have to ask themselves
is this:
Why would we expect non-
Christians to behave like Christians?
If you believe sex is a gift given by
God to be experienced between a man and
a woman within marriage, why would you
expect people who don’t follow Christ to
embrace that?
Why would we expect people who
don’t profess to be Christians to:Wait until
marriage to have sex?Clean up their
language?Stop smoking weed?Be faithful
to one person for life?Pass laws like the
entire nation was Christian?Seriously?
Why?
Most people today are not pretending
to be Christians. So why would they adopt
Christian values or morals? I completely
believe that the Jesus is not only the Way,
but that God’s way is the best way. When
you follow biblical teachings about how
to live life, your life simply goes better. It
just does. I 100 percent agree.I do
everything I personally can to align my
life with the teachings of scripture, and
I’m passionate about helping every
follower of Christ do the same.
But what’s the logic behind judging
people who don’t follow Jesus for
behaving like people who don’t follow
Jesus?Why would you hold the world to
the same standard you hold the church?
It’s difficult for a non-Christian to be a
hypocrite because they tend to live out
what they believe.
The Gospel and Same Sex Marriage
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Our
July 2015
Chances are they are better at living
out their values than you or I are. Jesus
never blamed pagans for acting like
pagans. But he did speak out against
religious people for acting hypocritically.
Think about that.
3. You’ve been dealing with sex
outside of traditional marriage for a
LONG time
If you believe gay sex is sinful, it’s
really no morally different than straight
sex outside of marriage. We also talk about
our greed, our gluttony, our jealousy and
our hypocrisy as Christians. It’s amazing.
Jesus brings healing to all these areas of
life, including our sex lives.
4. The early church never looked to
the government for guidance
Having a government that doesn’t
embrace the church’s values line for line
actually puts Christians in some great
company—the company of the earliest
followers of Jesus. Jesus spent about zero
time asking the government to change
during his ministry. In fact, people asked
him to become the government, and he
replied that his Kingdom is not of this
world.
The Apostle Paul appeared before
government officials regularly. Not once
did he ask them to change the laws of the
land. He did, however, invite government
officials to have Jesus personally change
them.
Paul constantly suffered at the hands
of the authorities, ultimately dying under
their power, but like Jesus, didn’t look to
them for change.Rather than asking the
government to release him from prison, he
wrote letters fromprison talking about the
love of Jesus Christ.Instead of looking to
the government for help, Paul and Jesus
looked to God.
None of us in the West are suffering
nearly as radically as Jesus and Paul
suffered at the hands of a government.
Plus, it gives us tax breaksfor donations.
We honestly don’t have it that hard.
Maybe the future North American church
will be more like the early church, rising
early, before dawn, to pray, to encourage,
to break bread. Maybe we will pool our
possessions and see the image of God in
women.And love our wives radically and
deeply with a protective love that will
shock the culture. Maybe we will treat
others with self-giving love, and even offer
our lives in place of theirs.
Perhaps the government might even
take notice, amazed by the love
that radical Jesus followers display.
5. Our judgment of LGBT people is
destroying any potential relationship
Even the first 72 hour of social media
reaction has driven a deeper wedge
between Christian leaders and the LGBT
community Jesus loves (yes, Jesus died for
the world because he loves it).
Judgment is a terrible evangelism
strategy. If you want to keep being
ineffective at reaching unchurched people,
keep judging them. Judging outsiders is
un-Christian. Paul told us to stop judging
people outside the church. Jesus said God
will judge us by the same standard with
which we judge others.
Paul also reminds us to drop the
uppity-attitude; that none of us were saved
by the good we did but by grace. People
don’t line up to be judged. People might
line up to be loved. So love people.
Especially the people with whom you
disagree. Those are a few of the things I’ve
learned and I’m struggling with.
The dialogue is not easy when culture
is changing and people who sincerely love
Jesus sincerely disagree. I think there’s
more hope than there is despair for the
future. The radical ethic of grace and truth
found in Jesus is more desperately needed
in our world today than ever before. Is the
path crystal clear? No.
But rather than being a set back,
perhaps this can move the church yet
another step closer to realizing its true
mission.
Show grace. Respect those with whom
you disagree.
If you want to leave a comment that
helps, please do so.
Maybe spend more time praying,
actually.
That’s what we all really need. And
that’s what will move the mission of the
church forward.
July 29, 2015
- Carey Nieuwhof
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Our
July 2015
Advt
SHARON
PUBLIC HIGHER SECONDARY
SCHOOL, UDHAMPUR,
JAMMU & KASHMIR
Urgently requires
Chemistry teacher
For its Higher Secondary section
Qualification : M.Sc. Chemistry.
Added Qualification : B.Ed.
Christian teachers with a missionary outlook
will be preferred.
Sharon Public Higher Secondary School is
among the oldest schools in UDHAMPUR
having the best results in the city.
Please contact with your CV at:
pmathai47@gmail.com
shobhacheriyan@gmail.com
anandputhenparampil@gmail.com
Mob: 09419158126
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