When Christians in the West are feeling they are becoming marginalised in society, there are some really unhealthy and damaging ways we can react to this. One is to try to hold on to or regain control. To try the path of cultural dominance, as some are trying in the US right now with potentially destructive consequences. Another way is to withdraw from society and live in Christian enclaves, sniping at the ‘way of the world’ from our subcultural ghettoes. A better approach is superbly summarised in A Creative Minority by Jon Tyson and Heather Grizzle. It is the way of what they call ‘redemptive participation’ – not withdrawing from the world, but participating in it while living out the way of Jesus so that we are a creative and positive influence. It is about being a faithful and fruitful presence in our areas of influence, and not underestimating those ordinary, everyday, right-in-front-of-you areas where we can have an impact.

Of course this is not new. It is an exploration of what Jesus said about being ‘salt and light’ in our world. And others have written about such things, often more fully. But the authors’ achievement is to argue the case for such creative minorities so concisely and yet in an intelligent and inspiring way, illustrating it with some moving examples of this kind of influence we can have. It does not hold back from challenging us as Christians, especially on the need to build churches that are truly covenant communities if we want to be effective in our influence (they use the extraordinary story of the Moravians to show the importance of this). And also on the need for us to be clear on our alternative allegiance. We serve a different Lord. We follow the way of a different kingdom. This leads to a different moral vision. We cannot influence the world for good if we are becoming just like the world.

This is a short book that most people could read in an evening, and it would be an evening well spent. However, as I had already written a study guide for it to go through with a small group at church, I have produced a summary of it here. You could read it as a taster if I have still not convinced you. If you have already read it, then have a look at the summary to refresh your memory on its important insights. or to be going on with until you get around to reading the book itself.

This little book captures exactly the kind of thinking and way of living I hope to encourage on this Different Kingdom site. Not to be against the world but to live countercultural, cross-centred lives, creatively influencing the world around us. Being a creative minority as we follow the way of Jesus in today’s world. I encourage you, if you read no other book on how the church relates to the culture around it, read this one.

[Note: the authors took the term a creative minority from the late Jonathan Sacks, who was a brilliant cultural commentator and chief rabbi in the UK. If you are up for it, you can read his long but very rich article about a creative minority here].