Our culture is hyper-relativistic. The idea of absolute, unchanging truth has become a passing fad, and it seems that everyone understands this. But it presents a problem for those with an undying love for an eternal, unchanging God. So what happens? We draw lines and perceive a battle. I wonder whether there is another way.

I love chess. I don’t get to play it much these days, but I love it just the same. Basic rules have always told us that the one who commands the center of the board wins. Then, in the early 1900’s, the Russian Aron Nimzovich came up with a new strategy called Hypermodernism. Here, you give up the center of the board and react to your opponent as he perceives your weakness and moves against it. The results are less anticipated and because of that, it is surprising how much stronger your end-game can become.

I never thought much about it until I heard Erwin McManus use it as an example for living. In a world that behaves more and more like Nimzovich, I wonder whether we should hold less to the old perception of “culture wars,” instead releasing our hold on the traditional center. Rather than hide our weaknesses, we would reveal them transparently and authentically. It would allow us to relate better, and help us to respond with a stronger and much more relevant end-game.

I hope that you are gaining new insight through the Simply Jesus series, and that it will help you to celebrate Christmas more meaningfully. This week we will tackle another challenge that can keep Jesus from the center of the board — and we will learn it from a very short man! Hope to see you there.