Is there an ideal culture? If there is, is mankind moving toward it? According to experts in the field of culture development, there is no ideal culture (Cameron and Quinn, 2011; Schein, 2010). They would argue it is up to leaders to cultivate the most preferred culture for their specific organizations (Cameron and Quinn, 2011; Schein, 2010), but the degree of diversity doesn’t allow for an ideal culture to exist. Would Jesus agree with this assertion?
If Jesus were a part of this conversation, he may assert there is an ideal culture, and it is possible to achieve regardless of the great diversity of the human race. Christ’s mission while on this earth was not to appeal to the Jewish culture that existed in the first century, but to call his creation back to the culture they were created for (Mark 1:15). It would seem logical that the church of Christ, his bride, would not promote its own culture, not would it promote any other earthly culture, but instead it would call people into a relationship with Christ who will acclimate his people to citizenship in the Kingdom of he created for them (Phil. 3:20, Eph. 2:19).
Drs. Suderman and Rodin, in their upcoming book The Caleb Strategy tackle this scriptural concept. For church leaders it is important to develop a culture that is built on joining the work of God and advancing his kingdom (Mt. 11:12), keeping in mind that God is the creator of all mankind (Gen. 1:27) with purpose (Jer. 29:11) and that he is an active participant in the lives of his creation (2 Cor. 5:18-20). God’s desire is that his creation will be in active relationship with him, an expression of love and service. That is the ideal culture mankind is called into.
References
Cameron, K. S., & Quinn, R. E. (2011). Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture: Based on the Competing Values Framework (3 edition). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Rodin, S., & Suderman, J. (2016). The Caleb strategy. Unpublished manuscript.
Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from http://www.books24x7.com/marc.asp?bookid=36500
