Last time I wrote to you about one of the root issues that the Gospel deals with, guilt. Now it's time to consider a different root issue, shame. First, I want to be clear what it is that I am referring to. This is not about feelings of embarrassment or the like. What I'm referring to is the failure to meet some accepted standard, a standard of honor. Failing here may result in feelings of embarrassment. But I'm not so interested right now in the feelings but in the actual, objective status of having failed, of being shamed.
For some cultures, the ideas of shame and honor are foundational. There is an established code of behavior which is that culture's standard of honor. Gaining honor and avoiding shame are the basic motivations of the members of these cultures. And anyone who fails to meet the standard of honor is shamed in the eyes of the people of that culture. One example of this would be Muslim culture.
Our culture doesn't use the language of shame and honor very much. However, similar ideas do exist here. It's just that they are labeled differently. So, while we may not use the word 'shame' in the sense I'm using it here, we do understand the idea of not meeting expectations, of being a failure. That's our equivalent of 'shame'. Similarly, 'honor' for us is about approval.
It seems to me that parts of our culture are moving away from being built on the notions of innocence and guilt (right/wrong), and moving toward the honor/shame (approval/failure) dynamic. I think that you will agree that many of those in the younger generations are at least leaning in this direction. So, it's okay to do wrong (like cheat on a test) as long as you gain approval (the result of a high grade).
One result of this is that such people do not understand very well a Gospel presented in terms of innocence and guilt. However, a Gospel presented in terms of honor and shame - though using the language of approval and failure - will probably communicate better with some of them.
This is all well and good, but a question remains. Does the Bible speak of the Gospel in terms of honor and shame? Is that a root issue the Gospel is designed to deal with? Or is this just another attempt to remake the Gospel according to the ideas of the modern world, compromising important truths along the way? I'll deal with that next time.