Stay In Your Lane Worldviews
Jim Sutton
Engineers have a tendency to “stay in their lane” when it comes to decisions regarding aspects of design that are critical in terms of safety, performance or maintainability. Years ago skilled craftsmen were consulted by people to perform services where safety, performance or maintainability was valued. So it is no surprise that we all have a nearly subconscious agreement with the idea we should stay in our lane in regards to various activities.
I read an article recently from the Colson Center that revealed my predisposition towards this sentiment. The article was titled “The Church’s Lane Is the Whole Cosmos”.
The article brought home to me something the late Frances Schaeffer tried to explain in his book “How Should We Then Live” many years ago. My wife and I have been raised in the culture of churches since our births. That culture is influential in many ways, the least of which is how it attunes us to the reality of eternity and the claims of our Creator on our passions and goals.
For me, staying in my lane means assuming the roles that were prepared for me before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9). The journey of discovering those roles and operating in them is one of the blessings to experience in life here on earth. What it does not mean, however, is that my faith in our Creator should be limited to those areas of life that do not cause conflict with the pervading culture. Since Frances Schaeffer, many authors have opined passionately and convincingly on how a worldview should permeate all areas of one’s life, Christian believer and non-believer alike.
Kasey Leaner took on one of those “hot button” issues regarding a believer in Christ and their relationship to the political structure of their native country. Although the details of what that involvement should look like were not provided, the information was enough to indicate that for most it will not suffice with just voting in elections. My wife and I were nearly ecstatic when we noticed a homesteading community named “Homestead Heritage” near Waco take an interest in engaging in thoughtful dialogue on “hot button” issues. We became less enamored with the community several years ago when we learned that they required members to not engage in politics, although we respected the evidence of their faith in our Creator and Lord. We learned that there is new leadership there for some time now which is making up for lost time in addressing issues that not only affect their community, but the community at large.
There is hope when believers in the God of the Bible learn how to integrate their faith and worldview into the culture at large. While waiting patiently for the Lord’s return they work in the lane of God’s ownership of all creation to relate God’s good news of redemption to a world that has been spoiled by sin. That's a good lane to be in for all those who have hope in the love and mercy of God!
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