Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father, but is of the world. The world and its desires are passing away, but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (rf. I Jn. 2:15-17MEV)
Contra Mundum. This is a Latin phrase that means, “against the world”. It has all kinds of applications, especially for the Christian. As stated above, we are commanded by Scripture, “do not love the world, nor the things of the world” because the world system, the culture, operates contrary to the ways of God. Yet, the Christian church has often chosen to follow the same path as the unbelieving world to God’s dismay. This idea of contra mundum was so prevalent with the Apostles and the early Church that they saw themselves as being outsiders looking in at the culture around them, never fitting in nor ever having a desire to do so. They understood they would be outcasts to their pagan culture (rf. I Jn. 3:13). The Apostles encouraged fellow brethren never to follow the world because it would only lead them away from God (rf. Jas. 4:4). Think of how much stronger our witness would be if we applied this truth today!
For example, God uses the small and insignificant to accomplish His great work. How many times in Scripture is this truth played out in real time? He starts out with only two people, a man and a woman, and populates a planet (rf. Gen. 1:27-28). He chooses one reluctant man from one of the smallest tribes in Israel to lead only 300 soldiers to defeat an overwhelming Midianite army (rf. Judg. 7). God’s Messiah is prophesied to be born in one of the smallest villages in Judah, Bethlehem, a seemingly insignificant dot on the map, though in times past it was known as “the city of David” as it was the birthplace of Israel’s greatest king (rf. Mic. 5:2). Jesus Himself said that if any of His followers possessed faith the size of the smallest of the seeds of that region’s plants, the mustard tree, they could “move mountains” (rf. Mt. 17:20).
Modern Christians have largely neglected this truth. We have forgotten that God Himself established “the day of small things” (rf. Zech. 4:10). We have become thoroughly and totally consumed in the American success model of “bigger is better”. In our pursuit of greater things, jobs, experiences, we overlook that God is not always in stimulating encounters or things that grab our attention. Rather, He is found in the “still small voice” and “not in the wind” nor “in the earthquake” nor “in the fire” (rf. I Kings 19:11-12). God in all of His splendor and majesty should be all the magnificence we should ever require. If we truly trust and believe in Him, He will operate on our behalf in ways that will undoubtedly blow our minds.
So, the challenge is before us. God calls us as followers of Christ to live consistently in complete faith and trust in Him in all things. We are to look for His hands and will in the “small things” of life. In our jobs, work and play, we are to show that Jesus is preeminent, first and foremost, in our priorities. If we do and are obedient to His teachings, we will most assuredly be portraying ourselves as He desires, contra mundum, “against the world”.