Counter or Contra Cultural?

The decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaCare) by the United States supreme court yesterday has sent shockwaves through the political, cultural, business, and religious communities across America. It's evident that both commentators and pundits are still grappling with the historic implications of yesterday's ruling by the sheer avalanche of commentary coming out. Here are some of the more insightful: George Will, Jeffrey H. Anderson, & Peggy Noonan.

For us culture-makers its important for us to sit up and pay attention to the rhetoric and tactics coming from the political anthill. While the law itself and the arguments before the court are political the ramifications are cultural. Big government vs. small government; social care vs. individual choice; shared tax burden vs. small tax bill; federal mandates vs. individual and states rights. Where you draw the line falls mainly to political ideology which is in itself an expression of culture.

I don't want to rehash the argument or even take a side here…I'll leave that to the political talking heads. My focus is to highlight the difference between being countercultural versus contra cultural. Whether in politics or in cultural endeavors there is a tendency for us to confuse counter-culturalism (sic) with contra-culturalism and call it good. I see this all the time in political circles and the argument over ObamaCare is no exception. There are many on the conservative right that have angrily voiced their contempt for the ACA but without contributing any substantive counter policy. Being against the law does nothing to advance the debate towards a solution, it only defines what you're against.

Sidestepping the Trap

As Christians working to redeem culture we must not fall into the same trap. It is so easy to look around and condemn the byproducts of unredeemed culture (even if it deserves condemnation). In a word: being contra culture. Its a whole different ball-game and much harder to be countercultural by contributing a different type of culture altogether.

It's much easier to explain what I'm against than to clarify what I'm for.

The early Christian disciples were able to successfully live the distinction which made them so successful. They were operating in a godless, sexually charged, idol-filled society and could have easily made a stink to the Roman authorities through protests, petitions, sit-ins, and news articles but instead they lived counter culturally by living out a new, redeemed culture.

"And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, 'These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,'" (Acts 17:6 ESV)

They understood the difference and lived it out. Are we?