With blazing speed our society is in the full throes of moral revolution, a seismic shift in values and the foundation upon which they lie.  This is not just rhetoric.  This shift is changing the landscape in seismic levels, and a similar example will further this analogy.  In 1964 a record  9.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Alaska.  It happened as a result of two plates of the earth pressing against each other.

The Pacific Ocean floor had long been pressing against the North American continent, and finally on March 27 of that year – Good Friday, no less – the ocean plate slid under the North American plate and released enormous amounts of energy.  The continental plate that had been compressed for so long actually shot outward, even as it was also moved upward when the Pacific plate slid under it.  I’ll admit that I have a very tenuous grasp on this, so I’m thankful for an article from Anchorage Daily News to help me out here.

One of the more devastating aspects of this quake was its effect on the Alaskan land.  Alaska has very wet, saturated soil – clay that geologists referred to as Jell-O.  The tremors weakened the ground during their 4 1/2 minutes of shaking, and the earth gave way and caused massive structural carnage.

Cultural Plate Tectonics

Christians can likely identify with the idea that another cultural “plate” has been rubbing up against them for quite sometime now.  Many of the clashes ultimately result in a stalemate.  Take the four plus decades of abortion battles for example.  There have been changes, but  have seen little significant movement.  Steady changes in the cultural worldview have been setting the stage for much bigger changes to come.  The cultural shift that has taken place since the Good Friday Earthquake is staggering.  Take a moment to think about the TV shows that were popular in the 60s (Okay, I’m a “youngin'” and had to look it up).  It was the decade of the Andy Griffith Show, Star Trek, The Brady Bunch, and Perry Mason.  Compare those with more recent shows – Breaking Bad, Desperate Housewives, etc. – and the values shift becomes more apparent.  Even the long-running series Days of Our Lives was on then but with a largely different plot.  The original episode involved Julie shoplifting from a department store and getting caught.  Recent episodes have characters getting caught having an affair and offing those who threaten to expose them.  The secular tectonic plate has been rubbing up against the Christian plate for quite some time, making steady progress compressing it.  What happens when it, too, slides underneath the plate of Christianity depends upon the soil.

The “soil” of Christianity

Just like the Alaskan soil could not handle the vibration of the earthquake, the Christian soil is unlikely to remain solid enough to support its structures in the coming years.  I am not talking about the Church, which will most certainly remain until the return of Christ, but rather the contemporary Christian culture as it exists right now.  The soil of American Christian culture is like a clay that merely holds the illusion of bedrock support. The soil has been saturated with the cares of this world – comfort, self-esteem, success, wealth, personal enjoyment – and although it has the appearance of solidity, it is one quake away from destruction.

How does that soil hold up to a cultural earthquake?  It doesn’t.  The structures will give way.  Biblical illiteracy is a glaring problem in our churches today.  Measurable statistics show embarrassingly low numbers of church members being able to name the four Gospels or differentiate cultural sayings from Scripture verses.  People don’t read their Bibles, which is an embarrassment itself, given the widespread availability of the Bible, these days.

Undiluted means unsaturated

For Christians to be undiluted in their faith, they must be unsaturated by worldly desires.  Otherwise there will be no way to keep the structure of this Christian culture standing when the quake comes.  There are at least some rumblings underway already.  On Friday HGTV announced the cancellation of its upcoming fall show, “Flip it Forward.”  The show would have featured David and Jason Benham, twin brothers in the home flipping business. Because of opposition to homosexuality and abortion, HGTV caved to social media pressure to oust the twins from the lineup of planned shows.  Keep in mind that at issue are personally held, faith-influenced beliefs that will not come not come into play within the show itself.  This is sadly predictable, because it has happened before.  The refreshing part is that the Benham brothers have remained solid in their faith throughout the process, as seen from their statements released Friday:

The first and last thought on our minds as we begin and end each day is; have we shined Christ’s light today? Our faith is the fundamental calling in our lives, and the centerpiece of who we are. As Christians we are called to love our fellow man. Anyone who suggests that we hate homosexuals or people of other faiths is either misinformed or lying.  Over the last decade, we’ve sold thousands of homes with the guiding principle of producing value and breathing life into each family that has crossed our path, and we do not, nor will we ever discriminate against people who do not share our views…We were saddened to hear HGTV’s decision. With all of the grotesque things that can be seen and heard on television today you would think there would be room for two twin brothers who are faithful to our families, committed to biblical principles, and dedicated professionals. If our faith costs us a television show then so be it.  (emphasis mine)

That is bedrock faith, unsaturated by worldly pressure.  The more Christians hold to the biblical ideal and speak the truth in love.  The more God’s Word becomes the foundation that withstands any culture quake.