Christian Concern put on classy events. Beyond expectations: Timeless Truth in Contemporary Culture which took place on 9 January in London was one such.
The content was different: thought-provoking and creative, often novel – a game-changer. The speakers – Jeffrey Ventrella, Joe Boot, Peter Jones, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, Andrea Williams and Andrew Marsh---were not only brilliant but modest and accessible made their material very persuasive.
First, Jesus and the Early Church engaged in their own version of the culture wars, realising what was at stake.
Secondly, nothing is ever ‘neutral’ – that is a myth from the Enlightenment. By its very nature all culture is ‘prejudiced’. Legislation is not value free; Christian voices need to speak effectively into the public realm.
Thirdly, the grandeur of biblical cosmology emerged afresh – understanding all of reality in the light of God’s truth. We need to explore not only what the Bible says but why the Bible says it!
Fourthly, and here I thought of CS Lewis’ prophetic ‘Materialist Magician’ in the Screwtape Letters: the present merging of the secular atheist with post-secular spirituality, strange and horrifying bedfellows.
