1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian Witness - An alternate City | Page 11

Purpose

Traditional
Religious
Group
Moral
goodness

Problem

Moral failure

Solution

Self (effort)

Naturalistic
Group

Anti-Realism
Group

Christian
Gospel

Survival

Freedom

Knowing God

Oppression

Sin

Self
(liberation)

Christ and his
grace

Lack of
adaptability
Self
(knowledge)

The new community required by the Bible cuts across all cultures and worldviews.
Put another way: it doesn’t fit any worldview but challenges them all at some point.
When the gospel “enters” a culture or worldview, it therefore both challenges and
affirms; it both retains and rejects. When it enters any culture, it resolves and
completes its partly-true story through the gospel.
LaminSanneh, in “Translating the Message”, insists that only Christianity does not
decimate an indigenous culture’s story, but rather (a) enters it, (b) cleanses it of
distortions and idolatrous elements, and (c) resolves its unresolved story lines in
Christ.
We cannot help but participate in the worldview of our particular culture and
generation. But the gospel changes the way we look at everything. We are to look
at everything, including our work, and decide (a) what to keep as good, (b) what to
reject as just too distorted, and (c) what to revise, rename, and reshape with the
gospel.
Challenge Point: Think about these issues for your particular workplace and
complete the table below:
Questions
What is the main purpose of the work?
What goal does it seek to fulfil?
What methods does it use to achieve its
purpose? How does it try to meet the
goal?

In your Workplace