In the world not part of the world

Reflection

Jesus prayed for his followers using language that has shaped Christian identity ever since: to be in the world but not of it. It is a delicate balance, avoiding both withdrawal into isolated purity and total absorption into surrounding culture, and most Christians will admit they lean too far one way or the other at different points in life. John's Gospel records Jesus praying that his followers would be kept from the evil one, not by being taken out of the world, but by being sent into it just as he was sent. That is a call to genuine engagement, friendship, work and citizenship, held together with a clear sense of belonging elsewhere first. It is far easier to describe this balance than to live it, since every generation faces new pressures to conform or to retreat. The call remains the same regardless: to love the world Christ loved without losing the identity he gave.

Questions to sit with

• Where do you find it hardest to hold this balance, engagement or distinctiveness?
• Can you think of an area of your life where you have drifted too far towards one side?
• What would it look like practically for you to be more fully sent this week?

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