Changing Cultures ~ From One Extreme to Another

The culture war we examined last week may signal the US is changing cultures, moving towards adopting collectivist characteristics. In a collectivist society, the group’s good takes precedence over what’s best for an individual. Consider the push for wearing masks and social distancing as efforts to protect our neighbors. Another characteristic of collectivism is that an individual represents his group. And the group responds as a unit to the experience of an individual. For example, many identify with one who has suffered police violence, resulting in mass protests. Why is the change occurring? What are the dangers? And how should believers respond?

The Promises and Problems of Individualism

Individualism has skyrocketed in popularity since the 1960s. We celebrate individual freedom, autonomy, and personal success. “Do your own thing.” “If it feels good, do it.” “You can be anything you want to be.” We accept the premise we’re the master of our fates. Achieving our goals guarantees happiness. Yet for many, the promised happiness at the end of the individualism rainbow has proved elusive.

In his book The Second Mountain, David Brooks posits that we have descended into hyper-individualism. Rather than leading to the expected fulfillment, professional and material success has often come at the price of personal relationships. Community bonds have declined, and social problems have escalated. Loneliness, depression, addiction, social isolation, and suicide have reached epidemic proportions. God created us to need social networks. Isolation and hyper-individualism lead to unhealthy lifestyles. Yet the opposite extreme is equally damaging.

Is One Culture Better than Another?

Every culture carries dangers, with all possessing both positive and negative characteristics. Excesses in individualist cultures can lead to hyper-individualism. In collectivist cultures, connections can degenerate into toxic tribalism (dogmatic loyalty to one’s group, leading to demonization and discrimination toward outsiders). We can find illustrations in race, religion, politics, etc.

The first-century world also divided people into insiders and outsiders. To many Jews, two main groups existed—Jews and Gentiles, although each group comprised many subgroups. Romans, Samaritans, women, lepers, Pharisees, Sadducees, Galileans, Judeans, Hellenists, those who were clean, those who were unclean. As expected, much antagonism existed between the factions. 

Human bonds are crucial to our well-being. But we don’t want to trade the extremes and excesses of one culture for those of another. How can believers be God’s agents in this time of change?

How Should Jesus-Followers Respond to Changing Cultures?

Tribalism was a problem in Jesus’ world like it is today. But Keith Giles suggests that Jesus used tribalism to subvert tribalism.

In his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7), Jesus is talking to an audience of Jewish people. He knows they hate the Romans. He knows they hate the Samaritans. So, he uses that to call them to abandon their tribalism.

How? By pointing out that “those pagans” only love the ones who love them in return. Now, we’re better than them, right? We don’t want to be like those people, do we? 

How Jesus Uses Tribalism To Subvert Our Tribalism

Instead of treating outsiders like outsiders, Jesus encouraged his listeners to treat them like insiders, with generosity and love.

If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:41-45

Jesus was creating a non-tribal tribe, one characterized by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. One that reflects his love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

We seem to be changing cultures. But exchanging hyper-individualism for toxic tribalism won’t produce peace. Like Jesus, we can reject an us-versus-them mentality that views those with different opinions as enemies. With God’s power, we can override our emotions and innate tendency toward toxic tribalism. What if we acted like members of Jesus’ non-tribal tribe, reacting with the culture and kindness of Christ instead? Maybe we could start something.