Give me a candle and a Bible and shut me up in a dark dungeon, and I will tell you everything that the whole world is doing.
I don't know the origin of this quote, but it seems apropos to one who would study apologetics or approach the lost, or the world, with such a bent. (I prefer not to use the term "culture," rather than "lost" or "world," because to speak of Christ vs. culture creates a false dichotomy and promotes a false notion that all which makes up culture is bad. Or at the very least, it fails to draw lines in the proper places.)
I used to despair, or at least feel inadequate, at being unable to keep up with the news, or with current cultural streams. Now I often fail to do so because of being too busy keeping up with my life. Of course it's helpful to know what's going on in the world, but not necessary. Why? Because what's most important is that I take care of myself, my family, and my friends, and do the work in front of me as well as I can. This requires wisdom not so much of current events but of the ways of both God and the world, and knowledge of my own heart and the hearts of those whom I contact. Yes, I need a modicum of social and cultural awareness. But beyond this, all that's essential is to know what's in my Bible and to be transformed, in the Spirit, by this knowledge. Then I will live an apologetic in any situation I face. And a lived apologetic is the best kind, don't you think?
