Talking to the World (About Sex)

Tim Keller looks to Immanuel Kant and Wendell Berry for ideas about how to talk about sex with unbelievers. "I think that in our contemporary society, Christians' beliefs about sex and gender will be one of the biggest points of conflict with our culture. We will need to co-opt some of our culture's own baseline narratives (the importance of human dignity and community) in order to gain any hearing at all for our beliefs."

Christians should listen constructively to what unbelievers (or believers--as if we really need to figure this out every time) say. Listening earnestly allows Christians to develop and maintain normal human relationships with people in the world around us. We can then engage naturally in conversations that express love, shed salt and light, and testify to the hope that we have in Christ. This sometimes invites persecution and sometimes attracts people to our churches where they see and hear Christ preached and worshipped.