In the world but not of the world

There is a phrase that is often quoted as coming from scripture: “Be ye in the world, but not of the world.” While it is a great idea, it cannot be found in scripture. Nevertheless the admonition is worthy of our attention especially as we witness the changes taking place in the Middle Eastern countries.

Growing up in Miami we were dependent on two newspapers for our news. One was delivered in the morning and the other in the afternoon. If you were fortunate enough to have 15 cents on a Saturday afternoon you got to go to the movies. Prior to the main feature they ran Movietone’s International Newsreels with an update of current events. Then came the advent of the television and the 15 minutes of news at 6 O’clock.

Today newspapers are starting to die away, the Movietone stopped in 1979 and the 15 minutes of news once a day has expanded into 24/7-mega coverage of every little event … and large events. It is the coverage of the larger events that grabs my attention … and my Christian desire to be in or engaged by the world.

I believe that we should be following closely the developing situation in Egypt and surrounding countries. These Islamic states can go in either direction – they could become democratic countries or join Iran as radical Islamic countries. We should care not because of the effect it will have on the price of oil or the negative effect it could have on the stock market. We should care because people are being hurt and killed in the process. We should care because Christ called us to love everybody … and to care for them.

As Christians IN the world it is my belief that we should be 1) knowledgeable of what is going on; 2) understand the dynamics of the consequences of the situation; 3) be in prayer for those bringing us the news, as well as the countries, their leaders and their citizens; 4) encourage others to become informed and engaged in prayer for the situation; and 5) show our support in whatever way possible for those innocent individuals who happen to be caught in the middle of the conflict.

Quote for today: Addressing a national seminar of Southern Baptist leaders, George Gallup said, "We find there is very little difference in ethical behavior between churchgoers and those who are not active religiously...The levels of lying, cheating, and stealing are remarkable similar in both groups. Eight out of ten Americans consider themselves Christians, Gallup said, yet only about half of them could identify the person who gave the Sermon on the Mount, and fewer still could recall five of the Ten Commandments. Only two in ten said they would be willing to suffer for their faith. ~Erwin Lutzer