Ever Heard of a 3rd Space Christian?

Ever heard of a 3rd Space Christian? Neither have I until 19 November 2008, when Rev Dr Kong Hee spoke on it at the inaugural Asia Conference held at Singapore Expo.

In gist, for the longest time, Christians have remained within the four walls of the church, practising a culture of separation and ended up isolating themselves from the world. Truth be told, they are of the world yet not of this world. Nonetheless, the First-mover, God Himself, so loved the world that He sent His only Son to redeem it.

Thus, Christians are not to love the things of this world in their present state which in many aspects run contrary to God's moral laws. At the same time though, Christians are to move out of the four walls of the church into the marketplace of education, business, government, mass media, and the arts/entertainment. So as to redeem them and make God's way of doing things operative in the marketplace --engaging the culture of our days and becoming a 2nd Space Christian.

Once a Christian makes his Christianity relevant in the marketplace where we spend most of our time anyway, the barrier between what is secular and spiritual will be torn down and we will no longer lead a double life; hyper-spiritual on Sunday and downtrodden from Monday to Saturday.

And, we will begin to see that "The Message is sacred but the methods (of conveying it) are not." So, a Christian can dress trendily and live it up everyday without compromising his faith and morality,and reach out to people who are rejected, lost, poor, weak, and hurting.

Also, he will, with God's favour and power, excel in his work and come up higher in all the works that his hands shall lay upon. When he become recognised as a succesful person in a marketplace, he can then find favour with men and be called to be amongst the leaders of the marketplace.

In effect, he becomes a 3rd Space Christian. This was what happened to Paul in Acts 17:19 where the learned philosophers of Athens "took him, and brought Him into the Aeropagus" --where the leading and infuential Athenians would gather; this apex of society is what we call 'The 3rd Space).

Paul was relevant in the 3rd Space and was 'invited' to have an audience with distinguished folks. Paul began by praising them for their devotions and build a bridge, so too speak, before introducing Jesus Christ.

Now, if only more Christians realise that they are do excel in the marketplace and to excel in what they do everyday. To know that it matters to God so that we can take our cities for Christ.