April 6, 2025

 Some of you may have watched the recent movie about the early career of Bob Dylan. I have been a fan of Dylan for many years enjoying his poetic style and simple yet detailed skill on a guitar. Sadly, his skill at activism and philosophy is not on par with his musical ability. One of his well known songs expresses a sentiment that is common today. Times are changing. Dylan looked at his generation and thought they would be different. His song was directed at the previous generation and was meant to warn them that things were changing (for the better in his mind).

Just like Dylan, there are those who today say that times are changing. Each new generation seems to think that they will be different and better than the one before them. As one considers history and the nature of man one truth is driven home over and over. Times are not changing. Sure we have more technology, we may achieve our purposes a little faster but the purposes always have been and always will be the same. Our basic human needs will always be the same no matter how we meet them.

Human nature does not change, and neither does the only source of fulfilment for our nature. Today there are many self proclaimed prophets predicting that churches and Christians must change in order to remain relevant to our changing surroundings. Books and lectures abound coming from so called leaders within churches of Christ claiming to tell us what we must do if we are to remain viable. Forget our distinctives they say, objectivity is a myth they say, the Bible is not full of truths to be believed they say, modernism is past and postmodernism has arrived. In short times have changed and we must change with them.

In response the preacher says “That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been.” “There is nothing new under the sun” Eccl 3:15; 1:9. God created us, he knows us, and what God says is relevant for all of mankind is: “all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” Rom 3:23; 6:23. The date changes every day  and will continue to do so as long as God allows, but the need of the people will always be the preaching of the gospel 1Cor 1:21; Rom 1:16, Luke 21:33; Heb 13:8. 

For the church to mould itself to contemporary culture is not to remain relevant. It’s to become irrelevant. The very thing people need is taken away when Christians allow culture rather than scripture to dictate who and what they are. If we are to be meaningful to our contemporaries and God we must not alter God’s standards. Instead we must hold to them, as the only thing that transcends fickle human tendencies. So although I still like Bob Dylan (much to Nancy’s dismay) his assessment is misguided. People don’t really change unless they change their relationship with God. For Christians, following trends limits our ability to help them do that.

I have shared this note before but wanted to share an updated version in light of the new movie.

~ Kevin Cleary