When I think about real community, I’m drawn back to my time in sports. In playing sports, a couple of things are non-negotiable. You will do what you’re told to do. The huddle is not a senate committee for discussion. You have a boss. You show up on time. You get in shape. You do what’s required. And, you may never be heard of. That’s community.

Gabe: So community is not just the people you might call friends or acquaintances...or even neighbors. True community is created with the people that you work together with to sustain your life and calling.

Mike: Habitat for Humanity hits the ball out of the park on this one. I hear stories all the time of people who stay in touch with people they worked with to build a house. They see something tangible. They actually make culture. If they can do that enough, over a sustained period of time, they can actually begin to change the habits of people. But when you see what it takes to build one Habitat home--generally talking about 100-130 people, quite a bit of resources, hundreds of hours of time-- it’s not very easy. It can be done. But because of all the individualized habits we have in place, this type of community is difficult.

This is why, when someone says they are going to raise up a whole generation of 20-somethings who are going to embody a Christian worldview, I say, “Shuwee! More power to ya!” I would encourage them to crunch it down to one locality, one church, one school, and say, “There…I’m working with one school right now.” Once you begin to actually get in a community and work in a community your grandiose statements come under the influence of gravity. That’s good. It’s easy to yak about this stuff. All we then become are talking heads. I think that James Hunter is right when he says that we have a culture of celebrity in this country – especially evangelicals – where a lot of us have become talking heads. But we don’t have anywhere near enough teaching hospital models where someone could say, “Show me where that’s actually working out.”

Gabe: So, Mike, you’ve been living out the gospel in culture for years. I know you’ve come alongside people like me in this journey. What advice would you give to others who hear that same call?

Mike: One way to start is just getting back in touch with this “four chapter” gospel. I would also urge anyone to go beyond knowing and start doing. Let me try to explain why this is so important. Our current culture is largely founded with Enlightenment ideas. Descartes basically suggested your cranium is the core of your being. But last week the Boston Globe had a good article on research that’s come out that says the best way you learn is when you use your whole body. But we don’t buy this. We’re part of a tradition that says, “Sit, sing and then talk.” The more ancient tradition of Judaism said we only truly know something when we do something.

The Enlightenment said you can observe a text, you can interpret it, you can know the whole meaning and then you can go out and start to apply it. Augustine would have said, “Oh my goodness! What made you ever think that?” (I’m taking liberties here.) “I believe in order that I may know.” Doing something as a step of faith always precedes knowledge. You don’t know something – truly know it – until you actually have to do it. It’s like riding a bike. You can go to seminar after seminar about riding a bike, but the best thing to do is go out and ride a bike. Skin your knee up.

This is a lesson I needed to learn back in 1995. That year I resigned as a pastor and went underground. I began to meet with real live people all over the place. What I found was that a lot of the stuff I was teaching was irrelevant to everyday life. If as a pastor I was after applause, I hit a home-run. But if I was after action…I had to go back and confront my paradigms: chief of which was my Enlightenment assumption: If I’ve taught it and you’ve heard it, you now assume that you know it!

Of course I’m not advocating for reckless activism nor am I against pastors and preaching. What I’m urging is that you start with this idea of a gospel that stretches from one end of the universe to the other and explains everything. Then go out and actually try to connect Sunday to Monday.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

In what ways did this Short challenge your worldview?

Share an experience that has shaped your worldview. How has that event affected you long-term?

Can you think of a movie that shares the truth of the four-part gospel?

Discuss Metzger’s differentiation between being provoked and offended. In what way will this impact the way you interact with culture?

How does Metzger’s definition of community differ from others you’ve heard? Do you agree or disagree with his definition?

Brainstorm ways to experience knowing by doing in your community and context.

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