HOPE Amid the Confusion of our Culture
The Times They Are A-Changin' – so sang folk singer Bob Dylan in the 1960’s. In part, his lyrics say:
Come, mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don't criticize what you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command. Your old road is rapidly agin' -
Please get out of the new one If you can't lend your hand -
For the times they are a-changin.'
A song of protest in an age of protest. The seeds that protest planted then have grown and blossomed today into a culture marked by fluidity where the individual defines truth, moral absolutes don't exist, and the meaning of being human has been reshaped by transhumanism, a movement bent on redefining humanity by overcoming “outdated” views of humans –i.e., created in the image of God. Carl Truman wrote, “Human beings are made in his image, the symbol of God’s ownership of and rule over this world. Only by demolishing that image—by overcoming its limits, by creating our own rules and our own values—can the death of God be truly realized.”1 Truman goes on to note that, “the linguistic shift in our culture is not merely tied to a disenchantment. It is also characterized by a delight in the destruction of things once considered sacred.”2 Humanity is in rebellion against its Creator.
The changes can be seen close to home too. The foundation of our Canadian culture, once based on respect and concern for each other as citizens, is eroding rapidly into an environment where truth is whatever you make it to be, and dissenters must not only be silenced but also punished. Transhumanist, social equality, and transgender movements seek to redefine humanity without God based on current cultural values. Proposed legislation in Canadian law seeks to limit religious expression and freedom of worship with the threat of prosecution by declaring sacred texts as hate speech. Euthanasia, under the guise of medical "assistance” in dying, along with abortion, continue to increase steadily. Confusion and instability reign.
Where is the HOPE? The church universal has faced these same issues over the past millennia, in different forms, from offering incense to a Roman emperor and acknowledging his deity, to giving one’s life for translating the Bible into the language of the people. Through all this God promises that His Word will not fade. His Church, called to be in the world, but not of the world, will be a beacon of light in the darkness. A hope for the hopeless and a light to lead others to true freedom in Christ in a new relationship and a restored view of humanity created in His image.
It is easy to look at our world and get bogged down by the ever-changing morality and view of humanity. Technology, social media, and public influencers will make your head spin if you allow it. However, through the fog of disenchantment and the rejection of God, we see that all is not lost. The Gospel still brings lost, hurting, confused, and angry people to the feet of Jesus, where they find forgiveness, restoration, freedom, and a new and better purpose. So let us not give up; rather, let us press on to finish the race we are called to, focusing on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith (Heb. 12:2).
Let us run with endurance!
Rev. Bill Allan, AGC President
Notes
1 https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/celebrates-desecration-reenchantment/
2 taken from: Carl R. Trueman, The Desecration of Man: How the Rejection of God Degrades our Humanity (Sentinel, 2026).