Conflict to Cooperation
How to not be held captive by our cultural moment
“What do you do with the mad that you feel
When you feel so mad you could bite?
When the whole wide world seems oh, so wrong…
And nothing you do seems very right?”- Mister Rogers, What Do you Do with the Mad that you Feel?
“My idea of God is not a divine idea. It has to be shattered time after time. He shatters it Himself. He is the great iconoclast. Could we not almost say that this shattering is one of the marks of His presence?”
- C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed
* This newsletter wades into the tumultuous waters of modernity. I am not addressing political parties or presidential candidates. My hope is to delve into some of the deeper issues at work within our cultural moment. This doesn't mean all is bad—but clearly, there are problems.
Embracing violence is commonplace today. While the nature of the conflict can often be more ideological than physical, the cultural conversation has taken on a religious fanaticism seeking complete ideological control. In an escalating arms race to see who can cancel the other first, all contrary ways of thinking are eliminated. And cultural zealotry has been normalized, as people are “shaming and damning one another as immoral heretics.”
Conflict is not only embraced in culture but also the church. The propensity for outrage among God’s people is “the sign not of a post-Christian culture but of a post-Christian Christianity, not of a secularizing society but of a paganizing church.” Indignation by the church reveals less about the plight of culture and more about the problem within God’s people. Political progress and partisanship have become the goal. Rhetorical and ideological violence is befriended as a charitable response. Outrage is a church growth strategy.
In a culture jettisoning tradition and disavowing any sacred order, unresolved anger seems acceptable. Yet the sword wielded for motivation inevitably turns on the wielder: self-righteousness easily becomes resentment, and you become more known for the pursuit of cultural significance than the Spirit—more known for the love of country than the love of God and neighbor.
Even if scoffing at such a blatant melding of church and state, all can relate to the inner anger bubbling to the surface. While you may not have previously considered yourself prone to anger, these days seem to trigger the worst within. All are more comfortable with the concept of conflict than they admit, so how is the wrath within appeased? Or, maybe a better question: how do you keep caring because it seems a lot easier to be checked out?
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
- Revelation 5:12 (ESV)
“A culture that allows the concept of “safety” to creep so far that it equates emotional discomfort with physical danger is a culture that encourages people to systematically protect one another from the very experiences embedded in daily life that they need in order to become strong and healthy.”
- Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt, The Coddling of the American Mind
No more important example for this moment exists than that of Christ. In a historic example nestled in Revelation 4-5, John receives a vision juxtaposing two animals in a throne room. First, he is told, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered.” Clearly, the Lion conquers, setting up the expectation that Christ establishes his kingdom through conquest. But then, subsequently and surprisingly, the Lion becomes “a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain.”
The point is less that Jesus is both the Lion and the Lamb. Rather, the Lion finds victory through the means of the sacrificial death of the Lamb. So, the latter image ends up transforming the former, and becomes the lens through which you are to see the Lion for the rest of the book. While this can sound rather esoteric, John is just doing what followers of Jesus always do: reading the entire story of scripture in light of the cross and resurrection.
Admittedly, submitting to the conquering way of the Lamb always confronts a world glorifying lions. Whether it be taking the throne of sport or business through sheer determination, the world admires lion-like stories. Though let’s not make this only about the boogeyman of “the world.”
The church has a propensity to love lions as well. Commonplace are stories of pastoral entrepreneurs moving to a city with a new vision and making something of themselves through rapid kingdom expansion. Yet skipped over are those slowly (and often silently) laboring in communities for decades. There is often an enchantment with narratives of fast growth, never questioning if all growth has its source in God.
Even more so, problematic is the failure of popular models' alignment with Jesus’ own approach to ministry. The scriptural exemplar is a man dying penniless, with twelve earthly disciples abandoning him, crucified at the hands of the empire of his own day. Jesus’ ministry wouldn’t have made a fastest-growing list or been part of the conversation on how to lead as a (CEO) pastor. In a world full of lions, Jesus chose to be a lamb.
He modeled meekness, which people are starving for today. You surely can name numerous leaders imposing their will through divisive rhetoric, strong-man tendencies, and unfiltered aggression. But harder is coming up with a list of those leading the culture into healing (and hope). While anger may rally a base, it does little in restoring personal and corporate fissures.
I know that addressing interpersonal healing seems like an exercise in sheer futility. Ironically, decrying outrage is actually a good way to divide all parties. Yet Christ still refuses to be captive to the swells of culture—the Lamb, never a prisoner of the moment. Hope can rise. Trust can be rebuilt. Cooperation can be found. The way forward may be narrow—the road lonely—but a resistance to the dominant postures and persuasion of the public square can grow.
Practice - When you read or hear something you disagree with, take a deep breath and ask God what His way is in this moment. Choose compassion over complaint—reconciliation over retribution—grace over gossip. And honestly, the best way forward may be just to listen.
Prayer- Lord, a lot of people bother me right now (like most people). To be honest, I’m burned out by the cultural conversation and need to find another way. Help me to find partnership in a culture of escalating provocation. Teach me your way in the midst of a wayward world. Amen.
🎥 A Few Recommendations 📚
It has been an extremely busy season with football finishing up and the boys' soccer season coming to a close, but I've found time for a few fun watches and some quality reads that I know you'll enjoy 😊:
The Penguin (Max) - I had my doubts going in, especially with the decline of superhero content in recent years (see The Franchise if you want a real-time spoof of where we’ve gotten to). Nonetheless, this dark, brooding backstory of one of Gotham's top gangsters was worth the watch.
Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman - I have been a huge fan of Burkeman's ever since I read Four Thousand Weeks (it is one of my favorite books in the last 5 years of reading). This book is similar in nature—a contrarian's approach to self-help—but puts it into bite-sized pieces that make it easy to digest and process. Go get a copy!
Lectio 365 - I’ve used this app daily for a year now. Generally, it’s less than 10 minutes and provides a guided process that includes scripture, prayer prompts, and thoughtful reflections. If you are looking for a way to start your morning off right, I would begin here.
Mr. McMahon (Netflix) - I have no real interest in WWE or combat sports, but I thought this documentary was an interesting look into a world I have a hard time understanding. The most intriguing part was how much of it was filmed before Vince McMahon resigned because of sexual misconduct. So, all his comments are seen in a new light with this vantage point.
Other - While I didn’t love the beginning, finding the author a tad negative, the latter half of Break, Blow, Burn, and Make was chock full of insights for creators. Usually, I look backwards here, but I couldn't be more excited for the second season of Silo (Apple TV+) along with the LEGENDARY sequel that is the hope for all of cinema: Gladiator 2.
Some (More) Food for Thought
“Is God not love, long-suffering and all-powerful love? A counter-question could go something like this: Is it not a bit too arrogant to presume that our contemporary sensibilities about what is compatible with God’s love are so much healthier than those of the people of God throughout the whole history of Judaism and Christianity?”
- Miroslov Volf, Exclusion & Embrace
The Latest #HornAdventures
Well, football season is officially over! It was a wild ride as my first year as an offensive coordinator, but I had SO much fun. It was the group of kids, especially the seniors, that made this a memorable and fun season. Our record ended up being 6-4, which was the first time we broke the six-win mark in a decade. We also broke almost all of our school records in passing and receiving categories, some of which went all the way back to 1967!
As a family, we are entering a winter season of transition (and overall hibernation, ha!). After football and the craziness of soccer season, Hilary and I are excited for things to settle down. The boys will be beginning basketball soon, and we’re excited to catch up on lots of family time together.
Lastly, my oldest made the decision to get baptized! We’ve had him sit on it for a little while to make sure he understood what it represented and to see how his journey with Jesus has grown. But we are SO proud of him for stepping out in front of our entire church to proclaim his faith in Christ!
