Culture

Jesus was born in fulfilment of the prophecies that had been written about Him. His birth was the motive for the wise men’s long journey from the East and was received gladly by the pastors that were caring for their flocks. It was seen and announced by the angels in heaven.

The eyes of God’s holy angels stopped to participate in what would be the greatest event in the human race.

The eternal God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the one whose glory the heavens of the heavens cannot contain, decides to stop in time choosing to arrive at the womb of a young virgin whom God had guarded and protected supernaturally to then entrust her with His own Son. God makes this holy woman the protector of His Son Emmanuel (God with us).

How would Jesus feel being limited to a human body, knowing that the nations are like a drop and that the whole earth is like his footstool? The one who is higher than the heavens, deeper than they abysses, wider than the oceans, is now in a tiny village of the nation of Israel. The heavenly hosts unite to sing a chorus of celebration saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14).

Although Jesus didn’t choose the fortress of a palace to be born in, but he preferred the humble atmosphere of a stable, we must understand that He doesn’t want to make His dwelling in houses of stone or hardened hearts like stone. Rather he wants simple, open hearts, which are willing to allow Him to build His Kingdom in their lives. Being the owner of gold and silver, the source of all riches in the universe, he preferred to be born in a place that lacked the basic
elements for human life, as if saying: “I want to dwell in the lives of those who are poor in spirit to establish My Kingdom.”

With His birth came provision too. God moved the hearts of the wise men from the East to take gifts of incense, gold and myrrh, which gave the family a nice financial breather.

What would Mary have felt in having Jesus in her arms? She would go over the angel Gabriel’s words in her mind time and time again, when he visited her and said: ““Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:30-33).

Without a doubt, Mary felt the most privileged woman on earth. I believe she couldn’t get over her amazement as she looked at the boy and repeated: “My sweet Saviour, Son of the Most High, King of Israel. Thank you for stooping in coming to this world; I will be the best mother for you. I will care for you with all of my heart. We are grateful with God for having chosen us to be your parents.”

“Man is like a harp with loosened strings; the music coming from the living strings of his soul is therefore inharmonious and all nature groans in pain. But the Son of David, that mighty harpist, has come to restore humanity’s harmony. There, where His fingers of grace move amongst the strings, the touch of the fingers of a God made flesh produces sweet music like that of heavenly spheres, a rich melody like the singing of a seraphim. God willing all men will feel that divine hand.”

A few days ago I started to read a book I received several years ago, but had not yet read. Called "The Emerging Generation" by the Christian author Junior Zapata (Vida publishing). I was impacted even just looking through the book. Zapata gives a wake up call to the relevance of the Church in culture. The book describes how we have often stopped "innovating" in the church, and so Evangelism is no longer made attractive for the coming generations. The church has ventured into many areas where it has had great conquests, but there is still an area in which it needs to conquer completely - in culture.

According to the author, in these days, the lack of ventures in culture has caused the emergence of cultural spaces that are swarming with expressions that are not in the least bit Christian. This is because our culture, that is to say Christian culture, has not come into the light, as the Word teaches us, nor has it been the salt of the earth in order to, as the author pertinently notes, "preserve our culture."  
In many cases, people who are involved in culture and the arts don't feel at ease in the church at times because they are unable to find the opportunity to develop the talent God gave them. However, there are also churches which are at the forefront in these matters. They have been able to take ground in the arts in an innovative and creative way.

A living example of this is what we are experiencing in Colombia, in our church International Charismatic Mission. Thanks to programmes such as Studio 12, an important example has been set in relation to the arts, music and dance, with the goal of winning many for Christ. The goal is to present the gospel of Christ, not as something stiff, rigid or prohibitive, but as the most beautiful book  in the world, or as the author says: "an expression of the kingdom of God."

I recommend that you read this book for yourself. It invites us to recognise that we are not enemies of culture. On the contrary we are the best friends it has, because we are its unique alternative, we are the unique instruments that God is going to use to cause culture to encounter God. Nobody is going to trust in Jesus without first trusting in a follower of Jesus. 

Young people will benefit greatly from reading "The Emerging Generation" ( La Generación Emergente). Inspired to transform the culture which God has put them in.

It is a challenge for young people to get involved in the areas of society that have been abandoned for so long by Christians. It is a challenge to think about those who don't know the Gospel and to approach them not with a Christian song, or an invitation to a meeting on Sunday morning, but to approach them, with lives that are really living in the power of the Gospel.