Providence Points: Culture of Life

[shawn...@gmail.com]

Providence Points:
Biblical, Devotional & Informational
January, 28 2008
Vol. 3, No. 3
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The Culture of Life

Culture is religion externalized. It is the sum total of not only the
institutions normally associated with the idea of society (family,
church and state), but includes all the relational interplay of those
institutions and the people that make up them. It is a less than
tangible idea that integrates the little things in life with the
issues of life: from how we greet one another to how weddings and
funerals are administered.

Taking this simple premise, one can work backwards, as it were, from
the elements of culture to the religion that lies behind them. Take
for instance, the popular game of Life. As many of us played the game
in childhood, we recall the relatively rigid path that always leads to
a counting of money: he who retires with the most money wins. In the
last few years, the game morphed into a hydra-path spanning normal
family life goals, living a single's life or trying to tour the
world. Money is no longer the objective, or rather, money is only one
legitimate path of life along side play, entertainment, family and
anything else.

Most readers can quickly perceive how the original and the
contemporary versions of Life reflect differing concepts of life and
its goal. In fact, they reflect differing concepts of the Gospel.
For games are a part of the larger culture that spawned them.
Certainly games do not always and only directly reflect that culture,
but certain games stand out more clearly than others. So, the
original 50s game reflected the "he who dies with the most money wins"
mentality; the newer version reflects the "he who dies with the most
__ [fill in] wins" mentality. For in this multicultural universe
every path is legitimate and every goal is valid.

Historically, the original game of life was not geared toward money
but long and fruitful lives. Milton Bradley of the 1800s made the
original, original game of life, but it had too much virtue to suit
the 1950s company. In turn, Milton received his idea from another
popular game in the early 1800s: The Mansion of Happiness. In this
game, with sixty spaces spiraling toward the center of the board, the
object is good works. Land on a spot of virtue and advance; land on a
space of vice and move back. Break the Sabbath day and retreat six
spaces.

Yes, the Sabbath day. One can perceive immediately how different was
the culture of the early 1800s in contrast with today's culture--even
with today's Christian culture. A Christian game I played as a child
was Bible trivia pursuit. What analysis can one make of that? It is
easy to read the questions in the game and see a Christianity that
revels in ignoring the big issues of life that separate churches:
baptism, predestination, free-will, the Sabbath. Not one doctrinal
question of significant debate between honest Christians existed in
that early game. The same can be said of many sermons these days as
well.

The culture that many Christians wish to enjoin upon their fellow man
is blasé and bleak. And the Gospel proclaimed is benign as well,
challenging little and thinking only of man. The churches need to go
back to yesteryear and proclaim the big issues of life instead of
reveling in the trivial. Only then will there be a culture of life
for the dead.

SDG