From Radical Individualism to Kingdom Family

One camp that emerged during the 17th and 18th centuries of Western history is known as the Enlightenment. This was a European intellectual movement seeking to synthesize God, reason, nature, and humanity into a worldview. Central to the Enlightenment thought was the use of and celebration of reason, and the power by which humans could understand the universe and improve their own condition. Notice God is not in that sentence. The goals of rational humanity were considered to be knowledge, freedom, and happiness. Similar to America’s declaration of seeking life, liberty (freedom), and the pursuit of happiness. As Mark Sayers wrote in Facing Leviathan:

“The Enlightenment recast the drama of human existence with the individual playing the lead role.”
Mark Sayers, Facing Leviathan Pg. 25

This version of humanity increasingly marginalized the Christian faith. It sought to create a human utopia, an imagined place or state in which everything is perfect—a replacement for Eden. At the end of the 19th century, Paris was the epicenter of the cultural storm of modernity, displaying how society should frame what the modern world could look like. In some respects, it was a city that exemplified the Enlightenment. This period of time, known for its seeking peace and prosperity, was called the Belle Epoque, “The Beautiful Era.” Paris had transformed from a traditional city into a kind of dramatic world as Sayers writes,

“Built not upon reality but upon fantasy; a new kind of society centered not upon family, religion, and convention, but instead, sex, shopping and entertainment.”
Mark Sayers, Facing Leviathan Pg. 46

Walter Benjamin noted that this kind of city promised individual freedom (not communal freedom) and sensation.

In 1889, Paris hosted a World's Fair, an international exposition that showcased the fruits of national cultures, industries, and technological advances. They were essentially the nineteenth century version of the internet. Does anybody else know what happened in Paris in 1889? Gustav Eiffel completed construction of the Eiffel Tower. It was the tallest structure on Earth at the time and dwarfed the cathedrals. For us, today, we can’t even imagine Paris without the Eiffel Tower, but in 1889, the iron giant would have taken your breath away. To many traditionalists, the tower was a spiritual abomination, and many feared it was an alternative symbol to the cross and a modern-day version of the tower of Babel, when the people in Genesis attempted to build their own tower to the Heavens to make a name for themselves. Paris morphed from the rule of monarchs toward the rule of the people, which would transition them into a society that existed to serve and entertain the individual. Citizens were becoming consumers.

Like the Paris of the late 19th century, our western culture is plagued by the same values produced from the Enlightenment: radical individualism, the power to be our “own” god, and chasing sexual desires not in line with God’s view of sexual integrity. Today, we are examining the transition from radical individualism to being the Kingdom family. We are in such deep need of this. In the language of Practicing the Way:

We become a community of love and depth in a culture of individualism.

Today is a deep dive into more of a philosophy of community. We live in a Western world that has gone into a place called third culture focused on seeking our own utopia. Perfection is “possible” and it will lead to a paradise land created from human hands like Paris. That’s the belief of secularism and it’s a false hope. Always has been and always will be. As Mark Sayers writes:

“The secularist-progressive myth seeks to gain the fruit of God’s Kingdom–such as justice, peace, prosperity, and redemption–but without the King.”
Reappearing Church, Pg. 24

Hence, radical individualism. And as we will see, the secular utopia results in disappointment. Much like chasing the American dream. As is well known from studies and surveys, money does not equal happiness. Chasing the top of the ladder in the business world, out of seeking our own pride, often leads to isolation and hurry. Seeking our sexual delights leaves us feeling empty, broken, and what we thought would fill us up actually leaves us feeling disappointed, oftentimes alone, and still desiring more. That more is God. And we were meant to discover more of God in unity and with our Kingdom family.

Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians:

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV

We need to seek living in these patterns of renewal, like the practice of community. We need to develop a spiritual trellis to help us seek spiritual flourishing in a day and age that continues to seek a false way of living that leads to hurry and noise sickness, focus on pride and power, and to become a culture seeking a Kingdom with no King, because we want to be that king. 

Community shows us that life is not about us, but about Jesus and His Kingdom family. It means we have a purpose and value to bring the New Kingdom of Jesus to this world. Much like the early church appeared in the Book of Acts, I believe the church as a whole is called to reappear in this world. Are you willing, and am I willing?

Next week, we will dive into what a Kingdom family is!