Point to the Risen Son

Most cultural shifts don't happen with lightning speed. They're more like slow-moving waters that gradually erode the shore.

In the 1960s, the Beatles dabbled in Hindu philosophy and rubbed shoulders with yogis, and George Harrison later mixed "Hare Krishna" with "Hallelujah" in the lyrics of a tune called "My Sweet Lord." In the 1970s, demographers noticed when increasing waves of immigrants brought their religious presuppositions with them from Asia to America. In the 1980s, concepts like karma, reincarnation, and nirvana gained wider acceptance in Western culture. In the 1990s, Eastern faiths appeal to postmodern people who long for spiritual experiences but view Christianity as passé.

Riding the wave of what a *Time *magazine writer termed "Tibet Chic," former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson calls himself a Zen Christian; actor Richard Gere is a disciple of the Dalai Lama; and bookstore shelves overflow with New Age literature at the mall. Though only a fraction of American adults actually call themselves Muslims, Buddhists, or Hindus, these non-Christian worldviews are gaining ground in the crucial battleground of the mind as religious pluralism continues to gain strength. Forty-four percent of American adults, and 51 percent of teens age 13 to 15, agree that "all people will experience the same outcome after death, regardless of their spiritual beliefs" (The Barna Report, May/June 1997).

How should we respond? For one thing, like a coach who scouts out the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team, we need to gain at least a basic understanding of these competing worldviews. (This is easier said than done because, frankly, many Westerners find Eastern ideas hard to understand and discuss.) We must reject unbiblical beliefs like reincarnation and other mistaken ideas "falsely called knowledge" that "have an appearance of wisdom" but actually move us farther from Christ (1 Timothy 6:20; Colossians 2:23). Let's resist the erosion of our faith, but let's also reach out in love to our friends and neighbors who find Eastern religions attractive.

Confucius said, "If a man in the morning hears the right way, he may die in the evening without regret." But the only way to die without regret is to hear about and accept the risen Son of God who is the way, the truth, and the life.

Our goal isn't to force Western customs onto the world, but to bring God's grace and truth to the world in Jesus' name. It's not an easy task. But as another ancient Chinese proverb says, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."