The Church in Exile

By: American Decency Staff

Since the Supreme Court's ruling on marriage was handed down Friday, I've read many reactions. A few Facebook friends were excited, even a few I didn't expect, and many were angry. Columnists have talked about how the church should prepare itself; some have apologized to the gay community for the way other Christians have reacted; Canadian ministers have shared their perspective with American pastors, and so on.

While many of them had good points, none of them really hit home for me. None of their reactions brought any peace to my despondent mind after the troubling Obergefell decision.

Then I found Rod Dreher's column at Time.com, "Orthodox Christians Must Now Learn to Live as Exiles in Our Own Country."

Dreher makes these points:

For one, we have to accept that we really are living in a culturally post-Christian nation. The fundamental norms Christians have long been able to depend on no longer exist. To be frank, the court majority may impose on the rest of the nation a view widely shared by elites, but it is also a view shared by a majority of Americans. There will be no widespread popular resistance to Obergefell. This is the new normal.

For another, LGBT activists and their fellow travelers really will be coming after social conservatives. The Supreme Court has now, in constitutional doctrine, said that homosexuality is equivalent to race. The next goal of activists will be a long-term campaign to remove tax-exempt status from dissenting religious institutions. The more immediate goal will be the shunning and persecution of dissenters within civil society. After today, all religious conservatives are Brendan Eich, the former CEO of Mozilla who was chased out of that company for supporting California’s Proposition 8.

Third, the Court majority wrote that gays and lesbians do not want to change the institution of marriage, but rather want to benefit from it. This is hard to believe, given more recent writing from gay activists like Dan Savage expressing a desire to loosen the strictures of monogamy in all marriages. Besides, if marriage can be redefined according to what we desire — that is, if there is no essential nature to marriage, or to gender — then there are no boundaries on marriage. Marriage inevitably loses its power.

I think those points are an excellent summary of the position orthodox Christians find ourselves in. This is a defining moment in history

Dreher then draws this conclusion:

It is time for what I call the Benedict Option. In his 1982 book After Virtue,the eminent philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre likened the current age to the fall of ancient Rome. He pointed to Benedict of Nursia, a pious young Christian who left the chaos of Rome to go to the woods to pray, as an example for us. We who want to live by the traditional virtues, MacIntyre said, have to pioneer new ways of doing so in community. We await, he said “a new — and doubtless very different — St. Benedict.”

Throughout the early Middle Ages, Benedict’s communities formed monasteries, and kept the light of faith burning through the surrounding cultural darkness. Eventually, the Benedictine monks helped refound civilization.

I'm not going to lie, a monastery sounds fantastic right now – surrounded by like-minded believers, self sufficient, comfy long robes, and peaceful chanting puts up a good fight against rainbow profile pictures and the realization that a good share of society considers us to be bigots. Now, I realize that Rod Dreher is probably not suggesting an actual monastery, robes and hoods and all, but still it wouldn't be so bad if he was, right?

Eric Erickson at RedState.combuilds on Dreher's argument for the Benedict Option.

Here is what I would say, though, to the conservatives thinking of departing for broad fields, no neighbors, and a life of small town values. The wildfire is burning. But, whether you think it nature or God, nature has a way of exerting itself and wildfires eventually run out of fuel or get rained on.

Certainly there is destruction along the way. Some will be burned up. Maybe that is me. Maybe that is you. But there are always others who survive. There is the tree around which all is burned, but that is spared. There is the burn line where on the other side [life] thrives and those within the fire take refuge. Maybe that is me. Maybe that is you.

…Because you are not alone though they want you to think you are alone. You have to remember that. The wildfire may burn all around you, but through the smoke and flames there are others just like you.

Those of you who are Christians are commanded to “go”. You cannot withdraw completely. You have to go into culture and make disciples… 

And there it is.

That's why a monastery is sadly not an option. As Erickson continues to say, we can cancel our cable and tune out the internet; we can move to the country and withdraw from pop-culture.

But let me tell you, that's essentially my life already, and our sinful culture will reach you even here.

It was in this gloom that I found the column I was looking and hoping for – this piece from Hershael  Yorkhammers home the peace that Christians ought to be able to find, even in such a dark day for our nation.

I am excited…

Two exhilarating possibilities emerge: revival among believers and a greater gospel impact beyond our walls. Think about it like this: has the church in the United States ever had a more advantageous time to stand in stark contrast to the world, to distinguish itself from the prevailing understanding of morality, to present a true counter-culture, to model the gospel? When we had greater numbers and political influence the world thought our great concern was with numbers and political influence. If we profess Christ and stand on the Word when it costs us dearly, however, then even our detractors and persecutors will see that it’s not about us, but about our Savior.

 I anticipate that the churches who stand firmly and lovingly on the Word of God, who focus on the gospel of Christ and preach the necessity of genuine faith and repentance for salvation, are about to experience an indisputable and authentic movement of God’s Spirit. The Christ-modeled balance between an unyielding commitment to the Word and a lavish love of people will offer the world something that they desperately need but cannot find anywhere else.

 People are no more lost now than they have ever been, and Jesus is no less Lord now than He will ever be. We dare not cower in our churches as though God has lost anything. The only decision handed down that matters is that the gates of hell cannot prevail against His church!

Let that be true. Let us in our exile remember the Gospel, let us simmer in God's grace, and percolate in His truth. Let us live lives worthy of the Death of Christ, lives of "unyielding commitment to the Word and lavish love of people."

Let us, whatever our lot, bring glory to God.

---

Visit us at AmericanDecency.org

To support efforts please click here or mail your gift to American Decency Association (ADA), PO Box 202, Fremont, MI 49412.   

American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

---