What Are Christians For?
What does Christian witness look like in our modern world? In What Are Christians For? Life Together at the End of the World, Jake Meador lays out a proposal for a Christian politics rooted in the givenness and goodness of the created world.
A Spiritual Inheritance
By first looking at the natural order and nature, Meador helps us understand the spiritual inheritance we have on this earth but also the relationships we must steward. Meador is sharp, and sees the world in a way that is refreshing and convicting.
With national conquests and the loss of “place,” a racial revolution was beginning with whiteness leading the way. Meador says that it is our pride that leads to unbelief. Surprisingly, a return to Reformed orthodoxy was helped by Herman Bavinck. Meador is also quick to quote Lewis and Tolkien throughout his book.
Challenging and Courageous
While Meador acknowledges the gains in industrialism, he sees that our spiritual lives suffered. While he sees technology as the fruit of human work and creativity, he also sees that it can be used with an essential indifference to the broader needs of the human community and of the land itself. Alienation became apparent.
With the sexual revolution, we lose our sense of stability. We also lose our sense of wonder. To encounter the modern world and regain our sense of community, Meador urges us toward “faithful presence.” This sense of belonging must begin in our households. It is a challenging and courageous way to move forward.
Community and Care
The book closes with an intensely personal story featuring Meador’s parents. His hope in sharing is that we see “goodness in bodily living, even when the body is broken” and “beauty in marital fidelity even when it comes at a cost” and that “there is something invigorating and delightful in allowing ourselves to be defined by our neighborhood and our neighbor, even when that means we lose some of our own autonomy.”
Meador calls us to community and to care for each other. By doing so, we show the light of Christ. This book is a hopeful and helpful proposal to see and live in this world as witnesses of Christ for the goal of his glory and the good of others.
I received a media copy of What are Christians For? and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.