Reflecting on Contextualization
I’ve been thinking on the need for contextualization for Christians that seek the unity of the Spirit, as we all should. I’ve been reflecting on how we can be more effective as followers of Jesus as we seek, live, and share God’s kingdom with grace. For many of us, our public square and our parish can be as big as the entire world.
Perhaps because I’ve recently been spending of lot of time in Frank Viola’s magisterial The Untold Story of the New Testament Church, but I’ve been thinking about the Roman Empire. The Romans believed they had conquered the known world because their gods were stronger, better. When in reality, the one true God and Master of the Worlds was using an immoral and cruel Empire to allow for the rapid spread of the Good News on great roads across much of the world in languages that were well-known to multitudes of people.
When I think of the revolutions in communications that have come and are coming (because of the relative time of peace the world has known since the end of the Great World War) with the global internet, cell phones, social media, and Artificial Intelligence: Are we here at the crest of the wave because God wants his people to be proclaiming in a fresh way the love, power, and forgiveness found only in Jesus?
Image: Matt Jones
Category: Ministry, Summer 2025
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