Paradigms. That’s the fancy word for systems of belief. Definition #3 at dictionary.reference.com gives the definition of paradigm as:
A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline.
Everyone has a paradigm. In fact, everyone has a paradigm whether or not they know they have a paradigm. The paradigm is the set of glasses that we put in when we look at things. Our paradigm colors everything we see. Another word for paradigm is worldview.
Christians have paradigms. There are many Christian paradigms. In fact, those who assert that there is only one Christian paradigm is someone with a particular paradigm.
This is not relativistic thinking. Some paradigms explain reality better than others. Relativism is but one paradigm. Under a relativistic paradigm all paradigms are relative. There is nothing about the idea of paradigms that implies relativism. It is merely the recognition that people view the world in different ways. These ways are often seen in clumps of people.
There is a value in talking about paradigms. The purpose of talking about paradigms is to help us recognize where we are thinking outside of Christ. Sometimes we buy into paradigms based on things other than the Gospel. It is easy to recognize this in others, but most difficult to recognize this in ourselves.
Many of the Jews in the New Testament trusted in Moses and the Law. They thought that was the basis of their salvation. To be more precise they trusted in their own ability to follow the Law. That was their paradigm.
Jesus came to shake up their paradigm. He showed them that even in their paradigm those who found God did it though faith and not through their works. It really was never about works. Jesus wanted to move them into his paradigm. He showed them that others understand this paradigm already.
Salespeople have a term called “mindshare.” Apple Computer understands mindshare. That’s why they put their computers into Public Schools. They understand the value of mindshare. Get the kids used to using Mac’s and when they are older they will not depart (borrowing Biblical language). In the case of Apple Computer, they have a very hard task given the widespread usage of the IBM PC clones. They have to work harder and be smarter.
In some sense, the church is like Apple Computer and that is why we have long targetted young kids with Sunday School. The thought is that if we teach them young, they won’t switch from the faith when they are older. And we have been pretty successul with this strategy in the past. In many places, this is still quite successful. In others, this method is not working any longer.
For preachers, it’s not so much the existence of paradigms that is interesting as the question of how to get someone to switch between paradigms. Paul talks about this a lot in his letters to the churches. In Romans 12, Paul wrote:
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Some paradigm shifts are quite serious and some easier. The bigger the shift the harder it can be to make.
To switch from a non-Christian paradigm to a Christian paradigm involves something called conversion. Christians call it “getting saved.” The word repentance in the Greek literally means to change one’s mind. What does this consist of for a non-Christian? It means that the non-Christian has to change their mind on who Christ is.
What makes this paradigm shift happen? It requires something cracking the old paradigm in a crucial point. This can happen in a lot of ways.
For many, they meet a person who holds the other paradigm and it makes them question their own paradigm. The person with the other paradigm has a better grip on something in life than they do and it makes them question their own paradigm. Reflection on one’s paradigm is the start of it all.
The intentional act of helping others shift paradigms is known as evangelism. The church uses outreach events in order to facilitate this paradigm shift. Individuals use personal friendships and relationships to facilitate this shift. Confronting other paradigms in others is challenging something near and dear to them. We risk losing them as friends when we care enough to challenge them to change. We risk our own paradigms being challenged. This can be hard if we are insecure about who we are.
We are not left alone in this task. Not only do we have the church to help us (and others) in our paradigm shift, we also have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is sent to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. From John 1 we know that Jesus lights every man which comes into the world.
The convert from one paradigm to another often becomes a strong opponent to the paradigm that they previously supported. It is a truism that there is no one more zealous than a former smoker. That is part of what made Paul so pursuasive with the Jews. This is why Acts finds Paul every Sabbath in the synagogue trying to pursuade the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.
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