I have been rereading some Francis Schaeffer recently.  The following quotation from Escape from Reason speaks to me as being in need of application as much or more now as when Schaeffer wrote it in 1968.

“There are two things we need to grasp firmly as we seek to communicate the gospel today, whether we are speaking to ourselves, to other Christians or those totally outside.

“The first is that there are certain unchangeable facts which are true. These have no relationship to the shifting tides.  They make the Christian system what it is, and if they are altered, Christianity becomes something else.  This must be emphasized because there are evangelical Christians today who, in all sincerity, being concerned with their lack of communication and in order to bridge the gap in communication, are tending to change what must remain unchangeable.  If we do this we are no longer communicating Christianity, and what we have left is no different from the surrounding consensus.

“But we cannot present a balanced picture if we stop here.  We must realize that we are facing a rapidly changing historical situation, and if we are going to talk to people about the gospel we need to know what is the present ebb and flow of thought-forms.  Unless we do this, the unchangeable principles of Christianity will fall on deaf ears.  And if we are going to reach the intellectuals and the workers, both groups right outside our generally middle-class churches, then we shall need to do a great deal of heart-searching as to how we can speak what is eternal into a changing historical situation.  …

“Each generation of the Church in each setting has the responsibility of communicating the gospel in understandable terms, considering the language and thought forms of that setting.”

Paul practiced this.  Acts 17;  1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

We live in a culture that cares about social justice, compassion, and good stewardship of the planet.  Human needs for purpose, meaning and authentic relationships are as stark now as ever.  The Gospel speaks to these needs. What are the thought forms and language of today, and how do we speak and communicate the Good News in ways that are understandable?