The letters of the New Testament aren’t just theology—they were lifelines for believers navigating a culture that often stood against them. Peter writes to early Christians who became outsiders, not by choice, but because following Jesus set them apart. Rejecting idols often meant rejecting the entire framework of their culture, making them targets of mockery, slander, and persecution.
Today, our culture isn’t as hostile as first-century Rome, but if you follow Jesus, you’ve likely felt the tension between what the world celebrates and what God calls us to. It’s tempting to retreat into Christian subcultures, avoiding certain spaces and conversations altogether. But Peter challenges us to step into the world, not withdraw from it. Our mission isn’t to escape but to live with purpose in the midst of a culture often at odds with God.
Which brings me to purple saxifrage. This hardy little plant grows in the Arctic, its delicate petals seemingly too fragile to survive. Yet it thrives in harsh conditions, taking root in rocky crevices where its deep root system anchors it and even breaks down stone over time.
We’re called to be purple saxifrage, church.
We don’t change culture by avoiding its challenges but by living with reverence and purpose in the rocky crevices of our communities. Our resilience comes from standing together, offering shelter to one another, and bringing beauty, wisdom, and hope to the spaces we inhabit.
Peter reminds us that Jesus didn’t come to create an isolated bubble of holy people—He came to redeem the world. We engage culture by reflecting His love, justice, and holiness in how we live—and because we were redeemed at the highest cost, the way we choose to live matters.
We don’t ignore the mess around us—we step into it with reverence, hope, and confidence in God. When our lives reflect the eternal worth of Christ’s sacrifice, we offer the world a different story—one of redemption, hope, and the power of the risen Christ. And that, friends, is how we change culture. Not by standing apart, but by engaging it with an eternal perspective.
For reflection:
- How can you live out your redemption in such a way that it impacts the culture around you for the better?
by Laura Marshall
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