Christians may not be aware of the extent to which they have conformed to a middle-class lifestyle. So many of the public values of society are middle class that these values, which ar far from inevitable or God-given, are taken for granted. Some Christians, because they have one or two taboos—such as not drinking or swearing—that set them apart from other people, are able to convince themselves that they are not conforming to society. By focusing their attention on gambling or drink, they ignore the way in which they have unconsciously absorbed their neighbour’s views on virtually everything else. They strain at a gnat and swallow a whole cultural mule.
(Tony Walter, A Long Way From home p.159, quoted in Dave Tomlinson, The Post-Evangelical p.47)
So here’s a trick question… how are you different from those around you? But hold on — if you can answer too quickly, you may already be swallowing a mule.
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