This was originally written for LRBC for November 19th, 2023
The secularity of our culture creates an environment that is challenging for meaningful faith to thrive.
What I mean by “secularity” is not a position of aggressive anti-religiousness, but rather the more general atmosphere of a culture in which religious concerns are deemed largely irrelevant and relegated to the margins of social life. These are only to be given space when it is convenient and unobtrusive. What matters are “life’s worries, riches, and pleasures” (cf. Luke 8:14).
One aspect of our culture as secular in this sense is in the matter of time. It has instituted patterns that normalize our weekly and annual life. I think here about the way our weeks are shaped, as well as how we make use of certain holidays.
In terms of our seven-day week, our secular culture treats every day alike. Many businesses require a crew of workers to keep operating for all seven days of the week, and employees fortunate to have a weekend regard it as made for pursuing personal secular interests. Christians are not exempt from being caught up in these patterns. A traditional Christian use of the week would see Sunday as the Lord’s Day to worship and fellowship, and possibly also Saturday as the day to rest from our usual work.
The annual calendar is similar. Holidays (or “holy days”) that for Christians were once inherently religious events are very easily suffocated by family and vacationing. The summer-shutdown that NZ has over the Christmas and New Years period determines that many of us get frantically busy trying to finish tasks off rather than leave it until the next week, rather than practising habits which may foster the hope and expectations of advent. Christmas itself is a day largely revolved around family. Easter is the longest-long weekend of the year and so a prime opportunity for a getaway while the warm weather still lingers.
Low-church evangelical (Baptist/Brethren/Charismatic/etc) heritage hasn’t helped us here—we haven’t traditionally valued Christian traditions and patterns. This might have been for good reason at one point in the past, when much religion was an overbearing and stifling formality. But it has become unhelpful in our new and different secular context which instead trivializes or sidelines religious practices.
Because of these things, we are inclined to treat time in the same way as secular people treat time—every day is alike, and sacred days risk being committed over to fun and family.
Fun and family are good things (don’t get me wrong!). But recognizing that we are conditioned to treat time secularly should make us pause for thought and consider whether there are other ways we could look at those important holy days on the calendar.
It is not at all my intention to come across as legalistic (Paul upheld a certain freedom on such things—see Romans 14:5; Galatians 4:10; Colossians 2:16). Rather, I wonder about the potential in this.
Submitting to patterns such as this set a rhythm that gives opportunity for our faith to call the shots on our time. It suggests concrete acts of discipleship which cross a point of difference between our Christian faith and our secular culture. Such rhythms are an opportunity to be influenced formatively in our outlook as Christians in a calendar stripped of meaningful religious significance.
I don’t deny that this is without practical challenges. Some creative thinking might help facilitate forward movement.
What I am putting forward is that it is time for Christians to think Christianly about time.
Chris Northcott 