Staying Focused on Jesus in a Spiritually Divided Culture

Many of us would agree that division in the United States is at record highs these days. It seems as if there is no common ground on so many issues, and that neither side will give an inch toward comprise. Much of this is caused by the media on both the left and right, as individuals and organizations have found a way to capitalize on our division. So much of it is political, encompassing differences such as race and religion as well.

In Luke 12:49-53, Jesus warns that his life and teachings would not bring peace, but division, even among friends and families. However, the division that Jesus refers to is not political in nature, but spiritual. He knew that his teachings were difficult at times for some to follow, and that his resurrection would not be believed of accepted by many for a variety of reasons. As the early church grew, these divisions became apparent, first with local religious leaders, and then eventually with the Roman government.

We are fortunate in the United States to have freedom of religion, but this spiritual division is present in a different way. As the culture becomes more secularized, the message of the Gospel is often ridiculed, twisted, or just ignored. Life issues like abortion and capital punishment are particularly controversial. Even things like going to church on Sunday are waning culturally these days. Spiritual exercises such as prayer (especially in public) and fasting are widely misunderstood and nonexistent to a high proportion of the population.

For those of us that are Christians, how can we stay on track in living our faith to the best of our ability? What does it take to be a Christian in the secular culture that surrounds us? St. Paul discusses in Hebrews 12:1-4 that we need to “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus” to rid ourselves of the burden of sin. Otherwise, we will be distracted and fall into sinful habits, or at the very least, become lukewarm about our faith. We need to make a conscience decision to keep our attention on Jesus through prayer, contemplation, sacraments and reading God’s word.

This takes spiritual effort and discipline, similar to physical and mental discipline that professional athletes achieve to. We need to keep at it until it becomes a positive habit in our lives. We can and should live productive lives within our culture at large, without withdrawing from it. We only need to reject and avoid that which is sinful, and instead “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus” to keep growing spiritually, to keep growing closer to God.