Despite the claims of progress made by more modern generations, far from having a clearer view of a ‘norm’ against which our humanness should be measured, we have regressed and have all but abandoned the very notion that such a thing exists. Ours is the generation of free choice and free expression. An age in which, if anyone dares to challenge our beliefs, appearance or lifestyle choices, they are deemed outrageous.

Humans have been fascinated by themselves since the earliest times in the history of our race. From the crude stick figures painted on the walls of caves in prehistoric times through to the sophisticated image of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, or the mathematical musings around the Fibonacci sequence in the beauty and balance of the human form, there has been a never-ending search for the perfect paradigm for humanity.

Despite the claims of progress made by more modern generations, far from having a clearer view of a ‘norm’ against which our humanness should be measured, we have regressed and have all but abandoned the very notion that such a thing exists. Ours is the generation of free choice and free expression. An age in which, if anyone dares to challenge our beliefs, appearance or lifestyle choices, they are deemed outrageous. So much so that, for those who still believe there are bounds of normality that must defend as well as define our humanity, they no longer dare to raise their heads above the parapet to make their views known.

The same has become increasingly true for Christians. Because our world and life view is not constructed from within, but provided from without in Holy Scripture, it is inevitable that we are ridiculed and even vilified for daring to challenge the received wisdom of today’s world. In the face of such hostility it is very tempting to retreat into the realms of private faith and closed communities of church life. But, in so doing, we not only betray the gospel, we also betray the generation to which we belong.

How, then, can we find meaningful ways to engage our peers – not least on this particular issue of what it means to be human?

An obvious place to begin is by talking about it. One of the most popular British radio stations runs an almost daily slot at peak listening time under the title ‘Being Human’. It offers a 5-minute opportunity for all kinds of people – many of them celebrities, respected public figures or academics – to lay out their views. The fact that the station has been able to sustain this feature for so long speaks for itself in the level of interest it generates from the audience nationwide. However, it is also somewhat self-defeating. Not only do many of the views expressed conflict sharply with the views propounded by other contributors, the biggest problem is that the audience has no opportunity to observe these notions of ‘humanness’ lived out in practice. So each version of the ‘doctrine of humanity’ on offer gets lost in the overcrowded market place of ideas.

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