The 'after' Age

We are "Living in the Age of Afters." So argues Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary, in an article by the editor of Fuller Focus (Spring 1999). Notice the words people use to describe the age in which we live: "post-Christian," "post-modern," "post-Enlightenment."

"There's a lot of 'posting' going on these days," says Mouw. "Christian institutions are no longer the dominant factor they once were in shaping our society in general and informing us how to be citizens, neighbors, and participants in the marketplace." But major secular philosophies of our day are being rejected as well, Mouw notes. "A century ago many intellectuals were excited about living in 'modern' times. They were very optimistic about what the 'enlightened' human conscious could achieve in the world. People believed in progress. They were convinced that the world was getting better and that many of the problems that have long plagued the human race—war, poverty, superstition, prejudice—would soon give way to the advance of science, technology, and other ventures of the human spirit."

That dream of progress, Mouw points out, has dissolved into a nightmare. "Instead of an enlightened culture, we seem to be slipping into more darkness. And it is increasingly difficult for many of our contemporaries to believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel."

How should we live in the age of afters? In January it's common to face some "after-the-holiday blues." But this year, as Americans recover from the bruising aftershocks of November's divisive presidential election, many of us are justifiably concerned about the way our nation's moral ground continues to erode. Shall we give in to pessimism and despair, concluding that our culture is not only postmodern but also posthope?

I remember talking with someone who was confused about the meaning of the initials, "A.D." She knew that "B.C." stood for "Before Christ," so she assumed that "A.D." meant "After Death"—after Jesus died on the cross. I explained to her that the letters actually stand for Anno Domini, Latin for "in the year of the Lord."

My friend had a point, though. We live in the lingering afterglow of history's greatest pivot-point: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Because of Christ, we don't have to be stuck in the past or afraid of the future. He's given us unquenchable hope, and a purpose to fulfill this year and every year.

"Do we live in difficult times? Of course," Mouw observes. "Do the problems seem insoluble? They certainly do. But God's 'heavenly sunshine' has not been extinguished. We may be living in a post-Christendom age, but these are not 'post-Christ' times!"

That's why God's Word tells us, "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15, 16). As a still-new century unfolds, let's think wisely, act faithfully, and seize every opportunity God provides. Let's do all we can to make A.D. 2001 truly "the year of our Lord."