The "Rubbish" of Culture

I returned last night from three days in Minneapolis, attending the 2007 Desiring God Pastor’s Conference, sponsored by Bethlehem Baptist Church and Desiring God Ministries (http://www.desiringgod.org/Events/PastorsConferences/2007). It was a gathering of about 1300 Calvinist pastors from a variety of denominations. When I got on the plane to head up there, it was -16 in Minneapolis. It gave me a whole new meaning of the term “Frozen chosen” (drum roll, please).

The theme was “The Holiness of God,” and featured R.C. Sproul. One of Sproul’s most popular of his 60 books is a book by the same title, so he has made the rounds for years giving talks on the theme. I’d heard him give talks on the same texts with similar themes before, but nonetheless found the time immensely encouraging. Walking among missional Calvinists like Sproul and Piper, who share a deep love for the Puritans and for the doctrines of grace, is to breath rich air. The speakers, and so many of the pastors I spoke to, emanate a love for God and a desire to see a deeper form of the faith take hold among their people. It was powerful to join in a chorus of voices from across various denominations that share a penetrating vision for their churches and their people. I certainly left encouraged.

One of the more interesting points in the week came on the last day. Each year, one of the speakers focuses on the theme of mission. This year featured William Mackenzie, a Scottish pastor who is doing a marvelous work from the UK to distribute Christian literature throughout the world. He told story after story of the power of good Christian books, and the need for people to read more, and to read more quality works. It is his passion and mission to put some of these quality works into their hands.

The fascinating point came as he offered his assessment of contemporary culture. As one might expect from an advocate for reading, one of his great enemies was television and film. He cited the current box office numbers in England for the movie Borat, and pointed the number of people who were seeing this movie. He even pointed out (shock!) that he PERSONALLY spoke to a pastor (yes, that’s a Christian pastor!) who had not only SEEN the movie, but thought it was hilarious! Hilarious, even though the movie was “rubbish!” (please fill in your best Scottish brogue to complete the experience).

How marvelous. There is nothing like hearing a Scotsman call something rubbish and mean it. While I found the rest of the talk illuminating, I pondered over this comment for awhile. He got a few “amens” on the comment, and no doubt many more were nodding their heads in agreement, but I wonder if he went for too much in his example.

I’ve seen Borat. I, too, found it hilarious. Many parts were indeed “rubbish,” though I don’t think me saying it has quite the same impact. But there was something underneath the offensive content that was provoking. In the course of his guerilla comedy, Sacha Baron Cohen provided a context for people to expose a piece of themselves they may not always want to show in public. And, in the midst of theaters full of laughter, America blushed. He exposed the xenophobia, homophobia, racism, and sexism that winds its way through our culture. These are undercurrents that rear their head at times, but perhaps don’t always get the raw kind of exposure he was able to bring out in his shocking, and at times offensive, comedy.

Mackenzie’s analysis of culture was to point out the shallowness of our culture, and the need for more reading of better books as a part of the cure. I support his prescription, but expect that there is more that is needed. Borat may actually be part of the solution, not part of the problem. There is power in comedy, and there is power in film that is simply different from the power of the written word. Ellison’s Invisible Man is certainly more profound, and offers the ability to change lives in a way Borat can’t, but Borat may provoke people to laugh at racism, or whatever “-ism” it points its finger at. Somewhere in that mockery is something that may guide people to the right place to start exposing the darker corners of their own heart to the Light.

There has been something of a renewed interest in Reformed theology over the last few decades, and it has created a rich and vibrant community of Christians who share a theological commitment and are trying to live out that commitment in their own faith communities. There is a great challenge within this community to read the works of great thinkers of the past, and to bring “dead” theology alive and let it live in this culture. I walk with them into that place, but there is a danger in this process of dismissing the culture entirely. I’m not ready to do that. The answers that the culture offers are always imperfect, and many times just complete “rubbish.” But sometimes the questions they’re asking are the right ones to be asking. That alone makes the conversation worth having.