A Conundrum!...

I spent the past weekend in the company of a bunch of men.
The majority were Christians and the others not.
It is so interesting to observe when these two 'worlds' rub up against one another.
As I rode home (it was a motobike weekend) I thought about the counsel that we have all heard that we, as Christians, are 'in the world, but not of it.'
Now is that a verse from the Bible? Maybe someone can help me with that because as I write this I have no availability to find out whether this is from the Bible or not. Certainly my experience has been that if it is not an actual Bible verse then it has been established by 'us' as having the same weight as a Biblical verse!

I then, as I rode, thought about the time when I personally had my first real interaction with a God who wanted to have a relationship with me. During that first conversation one of the things this voice said to me was this...God said that He understood that I had walked away from a church that had no real relevance to the world in which it lived but He said that here (in the church in which I was sitting at that moment) was a church which "had a desire to be relevant".
The pastor on that day was preaching on the (then) church value of 'Relevance'. It is interesting that the church of which I am a member has since abandoned 'Relevance' as a value as such but I couldn't help think about whether or not we had actually arrived at this value of being 'relevant' to the world around us, and to which God brings us into contact constantly.

Now here's the conundrum...how do we be in the world but not of it?

When I was young 'contact' with the world was not encouraged. Any personal relationships with things perceived as 'worldly' were openly discouraged whether that was in a sporting team, in a social setting or through common interests this contact was taught to me as not being a good or desirable thing. Many times I had heard the words "but it's worldly" as a concrete and justifiable reason for not engaging.
This resulted in extreme frustration for me because it produced in me a double life...I had my Sunday life and I had my Monday - Saturday life and the two were exceedingly different. The other thing this produced was an ability to lie as I avoided the two conflicting in any way.
Now that is me but things have moved on.
I went to great lengths to divest myself of this hypocrisy and exceedingly and openly engaged a life that was not 'christian' in nature or behaviour.

Now here I was and am and God was and is talking to me about relevance...about being relevant. Here I was with the 'issue' of relevant Christianity staring me full in the face as He talked to me about this as I observed two very different camps interract on a simple bike riding weekend.
So...relevant to who? Well relevant, I expect, to those around me who don't have what I have, don't know what I know, who are lost but don't know it.

I have said this before but I need to say it again. Christianity and religion are not the same. Why is it that millions of people who have the same desire for relationship, who have the same 'eternity' placed in them by our common Creator, would never consider stepping into one of our 'churches'?
Do you know, I believe, that the reason is that church has ceased to be a place of Christianity, and all that truly means, and has rather become a place of religion and the man who unwittingly is seeking God, even he who knows nothing of God knows that religion isn't it, and so rejects it. I have heard their conversations so many times where 'christian' and 'religion' become confused and I have to tell you we (the 'churchies') have done that! And not only that we show it by what we do.

Now I recall Jesus praying for those He was to leave in the world upon His departure...I think John 17...and the basic tenet of His prayer was that they be kept that they may be used that the world may believe.

How do we be in the world but not of it?

Do we win the world by separating ourselves or do we win the world by accepting them and engaging with them? Do we engage with their banter, full of innuendo and foul language, or do we separate ourselves away? If the answer is to engage then to what level do we engage?

I am nothing special but I have been given an acceptance in both camps. Combined with this I have been led to a place were I openly and with substantial spiritual indignation have rejected 'religion' and embraced 'Christianity', and the two ARE NOT the same. I don't care what your church/denomination dogma says religion is man placing his controlling 'law' upon people in the name of God and by God I have been set free from the death of the law to the fullness of the super-abundant grace of God in Jesus Christ...I am free and I WILL NOT sit under your rules anymore. God loves me and my role is to show that love.
Now do I engage in the depravity of the world's conversation...no, and with my 'worldly' mates I will openly ask them to desist from some of the things they say but do I then separate myself and show my disapproval? NO, a million times no. Jesus engaged with the most undesirable with the purpose of engaging.

So...to those who came on the weekend's ride and engaged with a group of blokes who even if they don't know it are searching for that indefinable, that thing that appears so unreachable that they could not even define it, to those who engaged thank you.
Your actions showed relevant Christianity in all it's fullness and spat in the eye of religion and all its falsity.
If we are to engage this world we will hear some bad language, some foul conversations, some disturbing stuff but quite frankly get over it!
In the midst of it you will hear the cry of a lonely man who recently turned fifty and doesn't believe he will see sixty, a man who has no satisfying relationship with his wife, who has no satisfaction in his life except when he joins a simple motorbike ride. This man text me after I arrived home and this is what he said..."Only wanted to say..I just love rolling with you. I'm well aware I'm not in your league. Would be an idiot to think even close. Its a sheer pleasure to be invited to roll with and be a part of what appears to be an ever-growing group. I truly thank you".

You need to know that when the cry of this man was heard there was myself and one other of the Christian camp sitting there and the other came to me later and said that he would be praying.

So here is the question...if we had not engaged we would NEVER have been in a position to hear his cry and we then would never have been in a position to pray for him and without the prayer his case is lost and hopeless eternally.

We have to engage. How can we hope to influence if we don't engage? Do we get down in their sludge, no, but by God we have to be close enough to give them a hand up!