Rise Above the Waves
October 23, 2017 by Jeffrey Johnston
Culture Surrounds Us Like an Ocean
Are we called to fight against the corrupt culture of this world? Or are we simply called to avoid it? Should we isolate our children from the culture or immerse them in it? These are challenging questions.
For this reason, one excellent modern apologist attempts to address some of those questions in his ministry to families and young people. Brett Kunkle is an apologist who has made a living helping teens learn to defend the faith. He worked for years with Stand to Reason, a West Coast non-profit focusing on Christian training. However, he is now launching a separate project intended specifically to equip young people, called Maven. As a matter of fact, his website states their purpose as: “MAVEN exists to help the next generation know truth, pursue goodness and create beauty, and to equip those who teach and train them—parents, youth workers, pastors and educators—to do the same.”
We Must Train Them
I recently heard an interview with Brett Kunkle in which his shares a very helpful analogy. He compares culture to the ocean and our children are like surfers. For our children to enjoy and ride the waves, they need to be introduced slowly and with guidance. Brett is himself a “surfer dude” and loves to enjoy the waves with his own five kids. There are obvious dangers on the ocean but the most dangerous things are below the surface. Unseen currents, rocks, and sharks can devastate even the most skilled. In other words, if Brett wanted to share his passion, he knew his children would need instruction.
Mr. Kunkle began teaching his children to surf by teaching them about the water. They started by splashing in the shallows. He taught them to avoid the dangers but at the same time to enjoy the waves. He showed them how powerful the water can be. They came to respect the waves but also learned how to begin riding above them.
Of course the analogy breaks down because surfing is a pastime one could easily avoid altogether. One might say I will keep my children safe by simply not letting them surf. However, we are all immersed in the ocean of culture whether we like it or not. We need to learn to ride above the waves or we will surely be destroyed by them. Peace and grace.