The opening line of a Charles Dickens novel started with, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”  Today, in America, it is much the same, though I would add, it is a confusing time.

Confusing?  That’s too polite a word.  Today’s secular message is a tale rife with false narratives, dangerous ideas, and harmful ideologies.  Even fairy tales are known for metaphorically conveying a universal truth.

And guess what?  The thing about culture is that, by its very nature, it cultivates, catechizes, and forms us into its image. For you Star Trek fans, remember the Borg — the alien group of cyborgs that sought to “assimilate” individuals into their collective “hive” in an attempt to achieve perfection?  Much like the Borg in Star Trek, our secular culture believes that “resistance is futile.” Or so it seems.  As a result of these cultural messages, we find ourselves in a crisis of meaning, confused about what is true, and constantly challenged to determine what matters most. We are being assimilated into the culture at large.

What are the secular ideas of which I speak?

What used to be considered normal is no longer so.  What used to be deemed evil is now just another alternative lifestyle.  Yes, we live in an age of confusion. The good, the true, and the beautiful have been rejected. Our society is in open rebellion against God’s loving plan.  The secular Borg is assimilating you!

These “ideas” that once felt so wrong are now celebrated as normal.  

That’s the problem with ideas.

Ideas influence people.

Ideas are powerful.

Therefore, ideas matter.

Ideas are never neutral.

They are either wholly true, wholly false, or a confusing mix of the two.

Yes, ideas have consequences.

And, as the world is hell-bent on demonstrating, bad ideas have victims.

Where do these bad ideas come from?  May I suggest to my readers that the source of these untruths is a rejection of absolute truth.  Our culture hasn’t just rejected the idea of truth; it has attempted to relegate it to the trash can of irrelevant traditions.  Thus, allowing us to define our own truths.

Our arrogance assumes such changes occur without negative consequences. 

Dr. Carl Trueman, author of the book The Desecration of Man, made this observation:

“ Transgression of that once considered sacred has become the primary task.  And transgression of the sacred is exhilarating precisely because it makes us feel like gods, the creators of our own meanings and our own selves.  All we need to do is cross lines previously enforced by the idea of God, and we thereby assume the role of being gods.”

And if the One True God is expelled, we must remember that nature abhors a vacuum. The gods will come marching in.  Then, as Trueman suggests, man assumes the role of god.

John Stonestreet of the Colson Center reminds us that, “The reality is that a self-worshipping worldview doesn’t deliver human flourishing. Rather, it puts the flawed desires of the human heart at the center of life, bringing deeper confusion, emptiness, and pain.”  He adds, “If there is no God, there is no source for truth, there’s no source for morality, there’s no source for meaning.”

The answer?  A Christian Worldview is the only one that aligns with reality.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is about being formed into His image.  Rejecting the Gospel leaves one with only one alternative — allowing the unrelenting, unforgiving, constantly changing secular age to mold us into its image and the false worldviews of the day.

All this to say, rejecting the Sacred has consequences.  Blaspheme what was once considered holy, good, and true, and the price is emptiness, confusion, and pain.

Dr. Trueman suggests that those who transgress the Sacred find it exhilarating.  

I tremble at the thought and at the consequences if we remain silent.