“Socialization is the process of interacting with others by which we learn our culture and it becomes a part of us” (Lecture 2, Culwell). Society has an interesting influence on who we are, what we do, what we believe, and what we value. As a “born again” Christian, the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ has had an impact on my life at whole. Although my up bringing sheared me away from Christianity, may heart was taken captive to the gospel, at 16 years of age. Through the affluence of His Word, the gospel created in me an “impact of belonging” and an inevitable remolding of my behavior. Moreover, as a regenerate, I occupy new statuses and accompany new roles. The influence of this new social agent, my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, causes in me a new way of life, that I go out living everyday.
“We need socialization to survive” (Lecture 2, Culwell). At 16 years of age, I realized that I needed the socialization of the gospel to survive. It was not until then that my good Saviour regenerated my heart and gave it a kick-start. I was lying dead in my philosophies, dead in my passions, paralyzed to reason, and deceived of my true social status. “Just as culture is a key social force, socialization is a key social process by which we become participating members of society” (Lecture 2, Culwell). The socialization of the gospel is no different. The socialization of the gospel is the key social process by which we become participants of the gospel in society, to the glory of God. Therefore, the socialization of the gospel is imminent for survival.
James M. Henslin in his book, Essentials of Sociology writes, “Language is the basis of culture” (43). Language is the basis of culture because language provides a shared past, a shared future, a shared perspective, and shared goal-directed behavior. The Bible describes Jesus as the “Word,” because Jesus provides the basis for biblical-culture. Biblical culture, therein is a reflection of the Word.
“Language allows culture to develop by freeing people to move beyond their immediate experiences” (Essentials of Sociology, pg. 42). Jesus identically, as the “Word” in the gospel allows culture to develop by freeing people to move beyond their immediate and past experiences. The essentials of sociology are fundamentally rooted in the Word as the basis of culture.
The specificity of the ways of who I am, what I do, what I believe, and what I value have been influenced by the God-man, Jesus Christ. The process of His interaction with me is leveraged by the inerrancy of His Word. By regenerating me He woke me from my sleepy slumber and came to occupy a new status in my spirit. Jesus changed the way I slept, He changed the way I worked, He changed the way I studied, He changed the way I treated my family, He changed the way treated others, He changed my friends, He changed the girls I lusted after, He changed everything... and He is still changing me. In doing so, Jesus gave me a beautiful bride with beautiful blue eyes and a heart that I envy. Jesus gave me a community that shares my testimony, Jesus gave me friendships with non-regenerates and professors I can share the gospel with. Jesus gave me everything I was not deserving of.
The impact of belonging to this structure has evidently changed my behavior. Before I was 16 years of age I did not believe in love, I hated God, I hated people, and I hated who I was. To be sure my status changed. Before I would not have been found in good relationships, now I am. Before I would not have been found ever leading people to know more about Jesus, as God, but now I facilitate a Bible study on Saturday mornings to create Christ-centered community and Christ-centered trust. Before I would not have dated, spoke to (nicely) or hung out with a Christian, but now regenerates feel closer than family. The impact of belonging to this structure changes the influence I have on society.
A key element to Christianity establishes the biblical importance of others. We take on the roles of significant others, “individuals who significantly influence our lives, such as parents or siblings. By assuming their roles... we cultivate the ability to put ourselves in the place of significant others” (Essentials of Sociology, pg. 64). The necessity of elders, mentors, teachers, peers, and spiritual “parents or siblings” is the purpose of cultivating the attributes in the likeness of Christ. Cultivating the likeness of others in Christ is a key element in why we are called Christians. We essentially clothe ourselves in the spiritual attributes as sons and daughters of Christ. “As our [new] self gradually develops, we internalize the expectations of more and more people. Our ability to take the role of others eventually extends to being able to take the role of “‘the group as a whole’” (Essentials of Sociology, pg. 64), the bride of Christ.
In conclusion, society and our socialization has an influence on who we are, what we do, what we believe, and what we value. As a regenerate, I shared how the socialization of the gospel has had an impact on my personal life. Although, my social and personal natures sheared me away from Christianity, my heart and mind were taken captive to the Word of God, as a sophomore in high school. Through the affluence of His Word, the payment of His life, Jesus wrote a check with His life and at the sign of the resurrection we all cheered, because that meant the check cleared. We are then were adopted as sons and daughters of a mighty and good God, in whom we are being clothed in spiritual likeness with distinct roles. Therefore, socialization is the process by which we interact with social agents, like Christianity, and learn about culture and how it becomes a part of who we are.
No comments:
Post a Comment