We’ve seen a significant shift in the vibe of western culture in recent months.
So stunning has the social and cultural turnaround been in the USA in recent months, and indeed across other parts of the West as a consequence, that the term “the vibe shift” has come to the fore.
Stephen McAlpine argues the recent shift in western political culture will not bring the panacea our world needs. (Photo: History in HD on Unsplash)
Vibe shift: the old, progressive order of things – the protected nature of personal identity markers, the demand for compliance around radical gender theory – the so-called “woke” stuff – seems to have been swept away in an instant by a mix of politicians and “tech-bros” such as Mark Zuckerberg.
The best visual example of this is probably the photograph of US President Donald Trump signing an executive order restricting women’s sports to biological women only, as smiling and cheering young women surrounded him. Twenty years ago we would have had to question why the President needed to be involved. Or why that was even an issue.
But today? In light of the past few years of social and cultural churn around questions of what a woman is, and whether one can self-identify their gender, it makes perfect sense.
For many, including not a few Christians, these are heady days. No longer do we have to speak in hushed tones about the created order in Genesis 1-2. No longer do we feel like we’re the only ones defending so-called “traditional” marriage.
And those are just the pointy-end issues. But with the likes of cultural commentator Brendan O’Neill and historian Niall Ferguson using the term “vibe shift” with abandon, it feels like conditions are a little more settled for Christians.
However, can I urge us to be cautious? While the YouTube video of Wesley Huff on Joe Rogan’s show can rack up millions of views, and a thousand “wows” from Rogan himself as Huff unpacks the veracity of the Bible, one swallow doth not a summer make.
Or in other words, the vibe shift, while it provides air cover for gospel ministry, does not mean that it suddenly becomes easier for people to be saved.
The Gospel is more than just a vibe
Whether the culture is for us, or against us, the reality is this: the human problem is not one of “vibe”, nor is the barrier to the gospel a certain perspective on biological realities, or political alliances.
No, the problem is spiritual death, where spiritual life is required. The problem is that we love darkness rather than light because our deeds – left-leaning or right-leaning, are evil.
Vibe shifts are fine, and in the current spiritual funk that the West finds itself in, there will be gospel opportunities aplenty. But true conversion needs the work of the Spirit of God, not the work of politicians, judges, cultural commentator or tech-bros.
The apostle Paul picks this up so clearly in his charge to Timothy:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (2 Timothy 4:1-2).
Paul recognises that there will be vibe shifts. That’s what he means by “in season and out of season”. Times will be conducive to preaching the word. Other times will not. Yet the same word and the same process is required in both seasons.
And the implication is clear: the vibe may shift, yet the human condition remains, and the solution to it remains. The appearing of the judge and his kingdom will sweep away all vibes, and dethrone all other kings and presidents.
So Joe Rogan may say “Wow!” to Wes Huff’s clear apologetic techniques, but if he is to see the kingdom he must repent of his sin and be saved. He has to say “Wow!” to Jesus. And no vibe will empower him to do so.
And conservatives may cheer the recognition, rightly so, of gendered reality, but that will not prepare them for eternal life. Only the gospel will do that.
Tech-bros may now realise that censoring the truth, or at least suppressing ideas, was not wise in an open-society that values free expression, but those changes are merely surface.
The truth they must commit to is that Jesus is Lord. Better to do it now willingly, than on the last day through gritted teeth.
So let’s ensure that we don’t let the headiness of the vibe shift run away with our thinking. Let’s ensure that, even if it feels like the self-censorious requirement has lifted, that we continue to see the urgency of gospel preaching.
We don’t want a gospel-less culture that ticks all of our conservative boxes. We don’t want Christendom without Christ. Let’s keep proclaiming the word now that we are “in season” – the vibe shift thing – but when, and it is inevitably “when” the vibe shifts back, let’s ensure that we are preaching it “out of season” also.
For the gospel is our world’s only hope.