Let’s not be surprised. The world is a dark place, and attacks on Christianity by our culture are in abundant supply. A quick scroll through your social media feed or a fifteen-minute segment of the evening news will prove that. While some might say, “It’s worse than ever!” we must admit that somewhere in the world it’s always been like this. Jesus put it this way when preparing His own disciples for His departure: “In this world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33).

Vivid within my memory is when my parents bought our first computer—a tall, bulky tower with a massively heavy screen that sat in our kitchen. I can still hear the static beeping connection of the world wide web. The small screen I carry in my pocket is much more powerful and efficient than that massive first computer.

As followers of Christ, we receive spiritual check-ups at many different stages of our Christian walk. We receive a spiritual check-up when we read the Bible, as it does its work of “piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow . . . judg[ing] the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12).

Our world is deeply fallen. In the midst of our pain and fallenness, voices are crying out for social reform, for economic redistribution, and for major institutional changes to the educational system and law enforcement. After thousands of years of human history, our world is still blinded to the reality that the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.

Whenever the word “evangelism” comes up, it’s not uncommon for Christians to experience some sort of emotional response that is less than pleasant. Eye rolling, ear plugging, or even church hopping are all strategies that some will employ just to avoid the topic altogether.