The reason shedding the sacred-secular distinction is no quick and easy fix is because 2,500 years of Western history are hard to buck. That's a lot of weight. Keeping the sacred-secular distinction "off" requires radical changes in thinking and doing.
When presenting live instruction on this topic, I tell my audiences, "the secular world does not exist." I'm convinced some people think I've lost a screw or two. The fact is, I know I have.
Dr. Albert E. Greene did "brain surgery" on me many years ago. Bless him! He took the necessary time to explain the problem in such a way that I was able to shed it.
Helping people to shed the sacred-secular distinction has a long Christian history. Luther and Calvin fought it, as did the Apostle Paul.
The Apostle Paul? I think this is the best place to start. So, let's begin with his letter to the Colossians.
In Chapter 1, verses 16-17, Paul (led by the Holy Spirit) asserts that Jesus Christ "created all things that are in heaven and on earth." All things. Including everything we see and don't see. The visible and invisible. Mountains and angels: all things were created through Christ and for Christ.
And Paul doesn't stop there. He says, "In Him, all things consist." The Amplified Bible puts it this way: "...in Him all things cohere, are held together."
Let's camp here for a moment. Right now I am typing on a keyboard made of plastic, connected to a computer made of chips created out of sand and other elements from the earth. Is Christ holding together my keyboard and LCD screen as I type? Is He holding together the electronic signals going through the air that allow you to read the words I wrote? Is He holding my fingers together, and your eyes? Is He holding my chair together? Your house? Your office?
Stay tuned. This should be fun!
