He began by describing two features which shaped the western culture:
(1) The first feature can best be described by the word "Epicureanism", by which the western culture sees the world: "If God exists at all, He is a long way away and at death we disappear into nothing". The factors that lead to this thinking include weariness of wars, progress in science and technology, and a belief that the world is progressing to a better place (by evolution). Even the church is buying into this idea. Preachers pick and choose from scripture to support these views.
Scripture has much to say about this. First and foremost, scripture described God as our Creator. We are God's artwork. He created us to have a relationship with Him and to fulfill His purpose for all of creation. In Ephesians 2 "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, ... among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (vv 1-10)
In terms of the myth of human progress, Wright gave the scriptural view of "time": (i) the turning point in history was when Jesus rose from the dead; (ii) Romans 8 described the ultimate goal of God's creation - we are God's agents to bring the New Kingdom on earth "For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently... And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." (vv 19-28)
Wright categorically refuted the "Dispensationalist Theology" which suggests that we can do nothing to alter the course of history. "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (Matthews 28:18) - through Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection we too have been given a new life in Christ to fulfill God's purpose to bring His Kingdom on earth. Therefore our challenge to the world is to live out God's reign on earth instead of escaping from it. We live in unity with God's church to witness to God's sovereign reign of the new heaven and the new earth (Ephesian 1).
(2) Society believes in the "value" of Christianity but not the "faith". But all religions DO NOT lead to the same value! Secularism claims that society is progressing with a purpose. It prefers the individual at the expense of society (libertarianism). And that we should capitulate to culture (i.e. agree with whatever the fashion is) and to science (scientific discovery always ahead of moralism).
Our response should include:
- importance of movement (institutional church is not the answer)
- movement of profession (we should take the good news to the work place)
- Mere Anglicanism is such a movement
- affirming marriage and establishment of family (don't give up on our children)
- need missionaries, especially in our own backyard (global migration of refugees)
- churches should be more mission minded to bring hope to nations and to our own people (don't be navel-gazing)
Overall I walked away with optimism. Secularism has little to offer to this confused and purposeless world. I on the other hand have been richly blessed "in heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3). I long to be an effective witness to the good news of Jesus Christ!
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