A follow-up somewhat to my previous topic:
Life in the Tribal Bubble - The unReal world?
Religious institutions, particularly the churches of Christianity, provide a sanitized sterile environment. A bit like a petri dish in a lab, in which church culture can safely grow. But, tribe members don't live in the bubble. So they have to travel outside eventually. They may surround...www.christianityboard.com
It seems that many Christians,
in the interest of not being OF the world
have made themselves not IN the world.
Discussion questions:
- Do you have any non-Christian friends?
- If so, how do you maintain a balance?
- If not, how do you maintain a balance?
- Do non-Christians view you as a relevant human?
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There are degrees to friendship. I have many acquaintances and people I'm friendly to, but very few I'm actually close with. For Christians, it's a careful balancing act. Friends influence each other, so you have to be selective with who you associate with. This is basically what 2 Corinthians 6:14 says:
"Do not be unequally bound together with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"
Take Jesus, for example. Much has been made that he hung out with sinners, which is true to an extent. He ate with them, and he talked with them, but was he really close to them? I don't think so. He was close to his apostles, and even then he had an inner circle.
