I just finished an excerpt of a Tim Keller teaching, linked above [and password protected, sorry]. He makes some remarkable points about truly making a positive impact on American culture. I'll talk about two here:
1. Go to the city. Cities are what impact culture, even if (as in the U.S.) they represent a small proportion of the total population. When christians talk about declining morals in society, they're referencing urban influence, since a majority of suburban and rural Americans self-identify as evangelical or protestant christian (not true in cities like NYC). I've heard him say elsewhere that "the biblical narrative starts in a garden, but ends in a city". I think God has a special heart for cities.
2. Religion versus Christianity. Keller's incisive contrast here is both compelling and convicting. Click on the link and look at #2 for the list- if you're honest with yourself, probably you're like me and are often more religious than christian. He makes these points as a challenge to preach and live the Gospel, not just as a reaction to "liberal theology" but in opposition to religion. Whoa.
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