Work on yourself first. The only thing we fully control are our own personal decisions. So, if we want to have any influence over culture or see any positive changes happen, we need to work on our own lives first. The best way to change your life for the better is to abandon yourself to God’s grace.
Evangelize, evangelize, evangelize. When we get to heaven, I believe the first question we will be asked is “who did you bring with you?” Jesus’ mission statement is “go and make disciples”. If we call ourselves His followers, we can’t avoid evangelizing – it is a core part of our identity in Christ. What can we offer our world that is better than the Good News of Jesus?
Pray. Then pray some more. Any true transformation will take place in the hearts of others because of God’s grace being operative in their lives and them choosing it themselves. So, pray for them. Pray for yourself. There is no spiritual power without prayer. Your relationship with Christ is found in prayer.
Support those groups which are doing good work already. If you know of groups which already exist and are doing great work in transforming culture, then invest in them. Invest your time. Invest your money. Don’t let another opportunity pass you by to put your money where your beliefs are. Also, don’t be fooled into thinking we can change culture through mere politics. Rather, politics is a reflection of where our culture already has gone. Finally, we must also affirm what is still good about our modern culture and try to support those things as well.
Focus on young adults. Young adults are not the future of the Church – they are already part of it, so we need to make sure they not only stay in the Church but help the Church grow and thrive. We can assure this happens by evangelizing them, building relationships with them, forming them to be disciples, and loving them. They will also be the primary evangelists (either for Jesus or the culture) of the next generation.
Learn from how others have transformed culture in the past. The changes in our culture didn’t happen overnight and neither will the future changes. We need to focus our efforts in media, education, fine arts, entertainment, etc to offer positive alternatives in these areas. While relationships are key, we can’t ignore these other areas.
Dream big. Too many Catholics are fine with the status quo. This is not how God feels. His plans are always on a grand scale. Whether that is for our own lives or the world. So, dream big! The entire world needs to be transformed. Where do we start? By taking the next step. I might add that we need to support our leaders when they do the right thing.
Use all available tools. The internet, new media, tech, etc. These are at our fingertips now. Use them. Remember how the Industrial Revolution was driven by new technologies. The changes can be either negative or positive. The Church must always answer the “should we” and “how should we if we do” questions when it comes to progress.
Stick to the basics. Most modern people are basically un-churched or de-churched, even if they go to church sometimes. This means they know little (if any) about a personal relationship with Jesus. So, stick to the basics. The best place to start is the Gospel message. Can you communicate it clearly and effectively? Also, NEVER start by trying to change another person’s behavior/belief. Start by loving them enough wherever they are. Change in lifestyle and belief comes AFTER someone chooses to follow Jesus.
Invest your time, energy, and talents in helping others. The best way to transform culture is to make sure you are helping those you have influence with. Family, children, spouses, friends, co-workers, etc. These are the people you stand the best chance of helping make positive changes. Those small changes can lead to cultural trends. So, don’t underestimate them.
The world needs Jesus, because He has the answer for all in the truth and grace He offers to all.
Jesus gave us a Church and through it He gives us a moral anchor, an answer to broken families, addiction, sin, war, violence, abuse, and all the other issues in our culture. More than ever the world needs the Church, if our society is to last.
What can you do today to transform culture?