The Fine Line.

Book Review.
Oberbrunner, Kary. The Fine Line. Re-envisioning the gap between Christ and culture. Zondervan. 2008.
K.O.-pastor of discipleship and leadership development at Grace Church in Powell, Ohio.
Comment. Henry.
Much has been said and written of late about how Christians (the church) can be more effective in these times. Missional, incarnational, relevant, have become buzz words. Kary is addressing the same issue(s) using a somewhat different approach. His concern is a scriptural exhortation that we are to be in the world but not of the world. This means ‘walking a fine line’ that will result in being relevant in our culture. One reason for irrelevance is an imbalance on the ‘in the world’ side of that fine line. Such people Kary calls ‘Conformists’. Those who err on the ‘not in the world’ side of the line he calls ‘Separatists. Those who walk that fine line he calls ‘Transformists’. These are the relevant ones who are impacting our culture. Kary is trying to explain in practical terms what it means to be in the world but not of it.
“Relevance is something others believe about us, not what we believe about others.” (41) The language of relevance is love. It is about loving God and loving people. “Separatists” (25) demonstrate their imbalance (irrelevance) by an inward focus that makes them ineffective in their culture. In an effort to avoid this problem, “Conformists” (25) abandon Separatist organizations (churches) and seek to be more relevant with culture by becoming like those of the culture. This is another form of imbalance that results in irrelevance. “Transformists” (27) have learned to live in that line of, being in the world but not of it.
Kary shares a number of very interesting, heart-touching stories of people whom he calls Transformists. Becoming Transformists has to become a movement which will bridge the gap between Christ and Culture.