Christianity in the West benefits from the push and pull of secular forces. The great benefit comes not when secular persons or institutions ask us how, but when they ask us why. How is often hard enough to answer without trying to play the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent card, designed to intellectual discussion and certain to be less than satisfying to either “side.” The why question bares fangs the how question cannot.
For instance, the how question, couched as “How could a loving God allow…..” is actually the why question, fangs and all, styled “Why would you believe in a God who….?” In the why question all take responsibility, the subject and the object (and all the stragglers).
Post-Christian Era North American “Believers” do not do a great job with the How or the Why Questions. I think this is because the big, bad secular wolves who do not know or buy into our images frighten us when they make us think. Our first thought is to fight, which means to pull rank, as above, but no one is buying into our authority, at least, not right away, so rank pulling just forces us back into our (ever smaller) peer groups. After that we flee (you see where I am going here), wherein we surrender our images, first, and then our greater subjects and, finally, our greatest subject, Jesus Himself. This is the worst failing of the entertainment Church and the reason some of its leadership are leaving Christendom altogether, or, at least, realizing their error, scrambling to regain some scrap of dignity.
I have a small voice now but, still, if a few more of the mice squeak a little louder in our waning days, perhaps some of what we leave behind may find its way into he body politic. If I can whisper a word to you before my end, to carry with you as you go, it would be the name “Jesus.” The Church should have regain the doctrine of Christology, not merely of soteriology (the doctrine of salvation), even less some addled modern version of eschatology (the doctrine of the end times). Better yet, we could emphasize Christology from the Scripture, so to spend less energy arguing over who is more loyal to the Bible. I treasure the Scripture and read it each day, but my loyalty is to Jesus, the Livind Word of God.
Jesus is our Savior, our Lord, Godself in the flesh of a Human, perfect in life, sacrificial in death, triumphant in resurrection, present with the Father, certain to return. Human history draws to its intended end, bent providentially toward Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Jesus is our greatest subject. We ignore Him at our own great peril.