"Why do birds fly south?" Picture this question being discussed by a group of college students in a Calgary coffee cafe. One of them — a science student — explains the phenomenon in terms of certain chemical processes in the bird's physiology "triggering" the instinct to fly south. Another student, speaking from an evolutionary point of view, pontificates that bird migration is just another example of natural selection and survival of the fittest.

One person at the table, who has been listening with fascination at the evident bird-knowledge gathered around the table, winces at the reference to evolution. Not only does he not believe in evolution; the reference brings to mind the passage from Isaiah 46:10-11 which offers quite a different perspective: "My counsel shall stand," the Lord says there, "and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executes my counsel from a far country; yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it."

A knot squirms in our stomach as we picture the scenario. How do you fit such a quote from scripture into a casual "filling the time" conversation among strangers? Is it possible to quote Scripture today without coming across as a religious simpleton? On the other hand, is it right for a Christian to remain a silent observer to such a conversation? Shall we just finish our coffee, say "see you later" and walk out, think­ing that it's no use giving the Biblical perspective on such topics in that kind of environment?

Let's be honest, all too often we shirk our responsibility as Christians to let the biblical light shine, not only on such seemingly mundane topics as bird migration but also on weighty subjects as leadership, freedom, prosperity, responsibility, truth, wisdom, work, history, destiny and future. Each of these words — and the list could be expanded significantly — represents concepts on which the perspective in contemporary North American culture is as different from the biblical viewpoint as the theory of evolution is from the biblical doctrine of creation.

Which brings us to the point of this article: In a post-Christian society such as ours, cultivating a Christian world-view is necessary for a God-glorifying obedience, a prerequisite for an evangelical interaction with society, and imper­ative if we are to be kept from the doctrinal imbalances and errors which the absence of such a worldview logically leads us to.

Its Meaning⤒🔗

What do we mean with the term "worldview"? The concept is not a new one. It was what Calvin was describing when he wrote, "Just as old or bleary-eyed men and those with weak vision, if you thrust before them a most beautiful volume, even if they recognize it to be some sort of writing, yet can scarcely construe two words, but with the aid of spectacles will begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering up the otherwise confused knowledge of God in our minds, having dispersed our dullness, clearly shows us the true God" (Institutes I, vi, 1).

As the Belgic Confession so clearly summarizes in Article 2, we obtain knowledge through two sources: the book of creation and through the scriptures. God "makes himself more clearly and fully known to us by his holy and divine Word, that is to say, as far as is necessary for us to know in this life, to his glory and our salvation." It is by putting on the glasses of biblical insight that we can see or understand the pur­poses for creation and make sense of the world around us.

It is important to point out that it is not only Christians who wear "perspectival" glasses. In order to live day to day and organize the millions of pieces of sensory data that our brain needs to process, every person must don glasses that help sort this information into a comprehensible whole. Going back to our café conversation, do you suppose that the evolutionary explanation actually came to the person as an insight as he listened to the conversation about bird migration? No, he already was philosophically committed to the teachings of evolution, and hearing the explanations about a bird's physiology, it made sense to him in the con­text of his belief system.

Why Essential←⤒🔗

Belief systems are essential at two levels. They provide us with a sense of purpose or assumptions by which we can organize information. They also provide us with meaning that we can ascribe to the language that we use. The illustration of a driver sitting behind the steering wheel of a car illustrates this point. To a North American reader, the previous sentence conjures up an image of a person seated on the left side of a vehicle; to a reader in England, the picture in their mind is of a driver on the right side. Same sentence, same words, but different meanings.

Few would deny that cultivating a biblical worldview is valuable, and perhaps even important, but to claim that it is a prerequisite for biblically obedient living in our culture and imperative to avoid doctrinal error, undoubtedly requires further clarification. Space does not permit an extensive illustration, but perhaps a short contrast of the impact of worldview assumptions on our understanding of leadership is the most direct way to highlight the significance of this for issues we often take for granted in everyday life, and even everyday church life.

One often hears statements like these: "If only he would show some leadership on the issue." This sentiment may be heard in the context of the workplace, family, church life, and government. What is commonly understood by the term "leadership" is the giving of direc­tion by someone in a position of leadership in order to accomplish something of mutual concern or interest. But is this a biblical understanding of leadership? Is there not a significant difference between using the author­ity of a leadership position and carrying out an office or calling?

Biblical leadership focuses on serving or helping others, rather than the giving of direction. It involves recognizing the whole person that is being led as an image-bearer of God with dignity in his or her own right, rather than the possessor of certain attributes or abilities which happen to be needed at a particular time. Biblical leadership takes place in the context of stewardship and accountability, rather than being measured by accomplishment. Books are available describing Christian leadership in more depth, but even a four-sentence contrast highlights the profound difference that our assumptions about leadership make. Who would deny that a lot of what happens in the name of leadership in our families, workplaces, Christian organizations, and churches reflects more secular than biblical assumptions about leadership?

In a previous era, the education institutions that trained leaders and the social institutions that gave definition to our public language (e.g. media, the marketplace, government) were influenced by a Christian worldview. There was a greater compatibility between the understandings of terms like leadership as they were used in everyday language, and a biblical worldview, even as non-Christians used these concepts. Today that is no longer the case. This reality necessitates a more concentrated effort to educate and equip us to deal with the effects. Without conscious effort and explicit teaching to highlight what the Scriptures teach about such concepts, and how it contrasts with the prevailing assumptions, we inevitably will simply adopt the world's language and methods, even when we are within our church walls.

The effects of this are not only felt in the practical world, but also in our theological understanding and perspectives. As the human mind works to achieve coherence between the different experiences and information it processes, the absence of a biblical worldview will naturally incline us to doctrinal imbalance or error.

Why It Matters←⤒🔗

The first logical result is a diminished view of Christ's work of redemption. Most of us are quite able to cite the extent of the fall. We know that when Adam fell, the consequences were not only spiritual but also physical (thorns and thistles) and social (work became toil, Adam and Eve blamed each other). Paul writes, "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now" (Rom. 8:22). If Christ's redemption is a complete redemption, then it must not only undo the spiritual consequences of sin, but also its social and physical implications. As Paul notes in the same Romans passage, "the creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption" and the believer looks forward to the redemption of the body.

Without a Christian worldview to provide an understanding of God's purposes and design in creation, we can easily fall into the trap of thinking — even if it is not explicit — that the world we live in really does not matter to God. We do not have the tools to reconcile the gospel with our everyday experiences in the world, and end up thinking of Christ's work of redemption as only relating to the salvation of our souls. As great as that is, it is much less than the greatness of the redemption that the Scriptures describe for us.

Secondly, we will be less inclined to appreciate the full extent of Christ's active obedience and the thoroughness of sanctification in the life of the believer. When we reflect on the truth that Christ not only paid the penalty for sin, but fully obeyed the law and that this righteousness is placed on the believer's account, we will realize that this applies not only to our sins of commission and sins of omission, as we are accustomed to saying, but also to our sins of the mind. Christ's obedience was a full obedience, and when Paul speaks of "being crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me" (Gal. 2:20), it is also in the life of the mind that believers need to be sanctified.

Thirdly, the equipping of our minds with a scriptural worldview is part of the spiritual armour that is provided believers to fight against the devil and his wiles. "We wres­tle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God (includ­ing) the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:12, 13, 17). To ignore the necessity of cultivating a Christian worldview is to not utilize the spiritual armour that God gives His people, and given the potent power of the enemy, will lead into temptation, weakness, and sin.

A fourth reason that this is important is that it is a tremendous incentive to cultivate a biblical eschatology (doctrine of the last things) and to spur us to pray as we ought: "Maranatha: Come quickly Lord Jesus." Herman Bavinck summarizes this well when he writes:

The rest enjoyed in the New Jerusalem is not to be conceived, either in the case of God (John 5:17) or in the case of his children as blessed inaction. Scripture itself tells us that eternal life consists in knowing and serving God, in glorifying and praising him (John 17:3, Rev. 4:11, 5:8). His children remain his servants, who serve him night and day (Rev. 22:3). They are prophets, priests and kings who reign on earth forever (Rev. 1:6, 5:10, 22:5). Inasmuch as they have been faithful over little on earth, they will be put in charge of many things in the kingdom of God (Matt. 24:27; 25:21, 23). Tribes, peoples, nations all make their own particular contribution to the enrichment of life in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 5:9, 7:9, 21:24, 26). What we have sown here is harvested in eternity (Matt. 25:24, 26; 1 Cor. 15:42ff, 2 Cor. 9:6; Gal. 6:7-8). The great diversity that exists among people in all sorts of ways is not destroyed in eternity but is cleansed from all that is sinful and made serviceable to fellowship with God and each other.

The cultivation of a Christian worldview matters. Its implications for our everyday life and the engagement of our neighbours are obvious to most. However, even more significant are the benefits for our spiritual life and the honour and glory of God that flow from the cultivation of the Christian mind. In fact, it provides a perspective that will remind us to glorify God every time we see a bird fly.