The F i g h t

"Earnestly contend for the faith".
Jude.

"Those who want heaven most must serve earth best"
C S Lewis.

One of the most important books I've read in the last year was Melvin Tinker's 'That Hideous Strength - A deeper look at how the West was lost'. I clearly wasn't the only one who realised the necessity of what the work had to say, as it's already been re-published and expanded, seeking to address the ideological turbulence of the days we're walking through right now.

It's not an easy read, as what it seeks to address is pretty unsettling.
Using C S Lewis' superb conclusion to his cosmic trilogy (entitled That Hideous Strength) and the events of Genesis 11 (the Tower of Babel) as a contextual backdrop, the author spells out just how bad things have become in the current generation, and where this may well be taking us- towards a domain of cultural Marxism.

Like the awfulness of what Lewis unfolds in his tale of post-war England becoming governed by a power subservient to scientism (what the Apostle Paul would consider to be 'Vain Philosophy' (Colossians 2:8), Tinker's words sink deep and remain, because as much as we'd really like to be elsewhere, we are amidst a very real time of 'cultural and cognitive adaptation' - a slow but relentless slide into a subversion as paralysing as what was evidenced in Germany in the 1930s or in Russia a decade earlier.

That point needs to be considered well and deeply by Christians everywhere right now, but especially in those countries where normal social activities have been curtailed or closed down by authorities because of the threat of a pandemic back in March. Are we living, now, in a world on a trajectory back to 'normal', or in one where what was deemed appropriate (i.e. in Christian worship and assembly) is gone?

The last chapter of the book speaks of four ways that such malevolence is encroaching upon and infiltrating discussions and events from what's raised on Morning TV to what is and isn't being allowed in binge streaming shows. Social "justice" is clearly acceptable, even when its actions are illegal, but what was previously deemed convention is entirely quarantined.

These methods are -
Assumption. Ideology that intends to supplant a Christian world-view (see Tom Holland's Dominion for a superb historical examination of  the value of Christianity).

Abandonment. Ways and means which make Christianity's value as 'salt' and 'light' be thrown into question by people in general, because something "better" (or at least more immediate and presumably more pertinent) is proposed to deal with the key issues of the day.

Adaptation. The process of adjustment as culture moves away from the "old" to the new. This often amounts to giving in to the superficial cries of the day rather than actually thinking through the deeper issues and ramifications involved.

The current battle is very much focused in the three realms stated above, but here's what will follow..

Assimilation. When a culture entirely rejects a Christian perspective on the nature of our problems and therefore the solution that the church provides.

Like in the building of some great structure, these means are now in constant use socially, but the goal is quite clear - to bring people to a point where they believe that they can be their best by what the authorities require and without what God desires them to see.

So, what should Christians do about this?
Well, at a grass-roots level at present, we're seeing the church continue to be marginalised and prevented from functioning as church on the premise that this is too dangerous to allow.

The social freedom that Christianity enjoyed for centuries has all but gone.

Think about what's taking place this year.

We were prevented, presumably for legitimate reasons (concerns of an impending virulent pandemic) from opening churches for many months. Then, because of the same manner of concern, we were allowed to re-open our church buildings, but we're now essentially constrained from functioning as church within them!

What's become apparent of late however is that the time is rapidly passing for any realm of society to just carry on frozen in a lockdown mentality, because of the threat which appeared six months ago. Life has to open up once more, and whilst this clearly means risk, probably for a long time to come, it certainly has to happen. Church needs to dress in the boldness the moment requires and not be timid, to truly listen to what its commanded by Christ to do, and do it.

This, of course, is happening in some measure already.

In Italy, for example, more priests and ministers have died of the virus in the last six months than doctors or nurses, because they refused to leave the sick and the dying unattended and alone. The restrictions, in other words, had to be broken, because the life we share in God is greater than death, even in these circumstances.
In many places, churches have found ways and means to continue to actually meet, and recently churches have begun to view the health restrictions as too confining in respect to how they should assemble and worship, and returned to full, normal services, fighting the restrictions as they go.

There's an important precedent at work here.
In his superb essay, living in the atomic age, Lewis examines the argument that because we are living in 'extraordinary circumstances', we should behave accordingly - so, in respect to the issue at the time of the essay, that we behave in accordance with the possibility of a nuclear strike at any moment. He goes on to show how ridiculous such an approach is, and how the best thing we can do is to live normally and live well, because extraordinary measures can only be effectively employed for very particular moments, and life must resume shortly as normal if it is to continue at all.

The current conditions, however, are constantly defined as something else - exceptional, terrifying and therefore, we should expect to remain in some abnormal sphere indefinitely.

It cannot be done.
The fact that we are now requiring a more familiar state of behaviour speaks volumes about the dislocation that has occurred.

So, if we are to see a return to what counts in church activity, what is to be done?

Those who have experienced the 'anaemic' nature of what's possible under the current regulations know this is a painful subtraction of what church should be, so the choices are that we just exist with that, or we seek to return to what church really is.

Where do we want to be as church at the end of the year?
When Christmas comes, do we want the only joy we can offer the world to be a masked, carol-less, socially distanced, clipped 'religion'?

The answer has to be no!

Like schools and businesses, we should be finding ways to steer towards a full return to normal as soon as we can, so we should be making those choices now.

That indeed means resistance - that we take a stand.
That means complying with what is reasonable (shielding the vulnerable), but not omitting what we are taught by God to do (Ephesians 5:19, 1 Corinthians 10:16).

This is where the choices will be hardest, as it's usually deemed best to just fully conform to what is required by the world around us, but there are times when we cannot and must not do that. "Anaemic" church, as it's already been evidenced, will not provide the necessary fellowship or ministry to truly, deeply feed and sustain us or speak out to the world. This is why so many churches have been choosing to meet outdoors, where they can sing and behave more socially, but winter is coming, and we need to work towards something better for everyone.

This 'being prepared' in present circumstances, as Tinker's book itself shows, is expressed in various ways.

We are to do what we do for the good of those around us - not to carnally revolt, but to show in our actions that there are issues as vital and as imperative as dealing with threats to public health.

We must watch, then act and pray, because, like Jacob, we stand and wrestle in the very midst of what is unfolding, and we dare not cease until we are 'disjointed' (from self reliance) by that endeavour, but God has sent His gracious and enduring life amongst us.

We must know the times - discern what is afoot, why it is so, and what genuine study can grant in respect to wisdom and insight into our predicament. Weighty judgement and insight and meaningful implementation at such moments is more precious than jewels!

We should be aware that this present struggle is not merely against what we can see (though that is clear manifestation of something genuine) - the powers behind this are far greater, and it is in that battle that the church must engage what is seeking to cripple its testimony.

Above all, we must understand that the imperative here is the Gospel that saves us - Jesus Christ reconciling us to God by the justifying work of grace alone, provided in His death and resurrection - that is the business we must be about in our corporate existence and action.

No method, no policy, no convention is going to heal what is genuinely killing everyone - their severance from the life of God. Only Christ can remedy that.

Jesus spoke of how no king engages in battle until he has weighed up the cost and knows he can overcome. We dare not send the church into this present fray (the developing horror of a severely crippled world) without the means that God has given to make us nourished and equipped for what is rising. It is time to return to the streams that God gives to revive and refresh His people.

We have, in truth, been away from them for far too long.

"Those who love man less than God do most for man".