In the book of John, one of the cultures that the apostle was communicating to was the Greeks. Of course, we know that they were a philosophical culture dominated by the belief that Truth could be attained by the use of human reason. Greek Stoic philosophers believed in a concept called the "Logos," which is translated as "Word."
These philosophers believed the Logos was similar to "The Force" in the Star Wars movies; an impersonal energy that could be tapped into to take a person to a higher degree of consciousness.
So, how did John address this crowd with the Gospel?
John 1:1-3, 14 - 1In the beginning was the
Word (Logos), and the Word (Logos) was with God, and the Word (Logos) was God. 2He was with God in the
beginning.
14The Word (Logos) became flesh
and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the
One and Only,who came from the Father, full of
grace and truth.
He simply reveals that the Logos is not an impersonal force, but a Person. Then, he explains that all can know Him personally. Pretty good move inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Now, let's bring it back to our culture. Our primary methods of sharing the Gospel include sermons, arguments, tracts and the like. In our postmodern society, words have become largely ineffective. Those that hold to the postmodern way of thinking will not be moved by words because, according to them, words are nothing but the perception one has.
Therefore, they must be moved by an experience that goes beyond words, which Jesus promised was available to His followers. They must encounter the Person and not just hear about Him.
OK, now it's your turn. What do you believe is critical to entering into a "beyond words" experience of Christ that will effectively encounter our culture with the reality of The Truth? Have you seen this happening in your midst? Have you had encounters with postmodern thinkers and what did they say, how did they think?
(This post taken from my notes in the Logos Institute class "Beyond Beliefs.")
