THE MYTH OF NEUTRALITY AND THE CONTESTED SPACE
(Notes taken from a stimulating and insightful address by Jon Tyson, church planter and senior pastor of Trinity-Grace Church New York, at the Sept. 2013 Arrow Australia Alumni Conference.)
The myth of neutrality
Christians think they are the only ones discipling people but in fact everyone is being discipled by someone or something in the culture. (Eg: popular entertainment and advertising.)
The contested space
Everyone’s mind and heart is a contested space.
Society has a vision of “the good life” and Christianity has an alternative and competing one. Who will win the hearts and minds?
The popular culture disciple’s people from:
– From faith to doubt
– From love to insecurity
– From community to individualism
– From contributing to taking
– From rest to exhaustion
– From freedom for to freedom from
– From service to others to serving the self
– From enough to excess
– Etc.
This culture is leading to a harvest of brokenness
We have to communicate the alternative vision of “the good life” – Gods plan for human flourishing and in such a way that people hear it as life affirming, redemptive and gracious.
(Notes taken by Peter Corney may not be exactly verbatim and contain some interpretation but they attempt to convey the ideas as clearly as heard –my apologies for any inaccuracies.)
