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5 Types of Christians: Restorers (Part 6 of 6)

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This article is part 6 in a series inspired by Gabe Lyons’ The Next Christians. As I read this book, I felt like Lyons’ insight was particularly relevant to our discussion of evangelical involvement in the interfaith movement. Be sure to check out The Next Christians and see the links below for past articles.


Over the past month I’ve posted a series of five articles to this blog discussing five types of Christians as they are described in Gabe Lyons’ book The Next Christians. I’ve attempted to identify the problems each category of Christians encounters with respect to the interfaith movement. Some Christians take an approach that leads to an abrasive interaction with the world: we must fight for laws that reflect biblical values, fight for the acknowledgement of the God of the Bible in public spaces, or fight for the souls of our lost neighbors. This approach doesn’t cultivate relationships with people who have different perspectives – just disagreement.

Other Christians prefer to avoid friction at all costs. They seek to blend in with the rest of society or to let faith only manifest as acts of service and generosity – something with which no one can really disagree. Life can go smoothly that way, or so it seems.

But there’s something to be gained from taking a different approach – a sixth type, if you will. Something that involves a thorough assessment of the way that Jesus interacted with the world around him – and an understanding of the message he preached. So I return to words I’ve written in the past:

Jesus preached the gospel, which is to say the he preached the good news, and this good news was about something – it was about the Kingdom of God.

So Jesus preached the good news of the Kingdom of God.

And that good news is about restoration. So we might call those who live under the influence of the kingdom restorers.

Gabe Lyons says:

“I call them restorers because they envision the world as it was meant to be and they work toward that vision. Restorers seek to mend earth’s brokenness. They recognize that the world will not be completely healed until Christ’s return, but they believe that the process begins now as we partner with God. Through sowing seeds of restoration, they believe others will see Christ through us and the Christian faith will reap a much larger harvest.”

Lyons’ description of the restorer’s vision reminds me of Scot McKnight’s description of the kingdom: “By kingdom, Jesus means: God’s Dream Society on earth” – the way the world was meant to be.

So as Christians – as restorers – we are part of a narrative that is as old as history itself. It’s a story in which a broken world longs to be restored and where followers of Jesus play a role in that restoration. It’s a story in which restoration is sought at the level of societies, communities, and relationships – including each individual’s relationship with God.

As a Christian, when you realize what it means to be a restorer life is no longer only about whether you’re going to heaven or hell. It’s about serving others. It’s about relationships. It’s about peace. The dialogue and service that comprise the interfaith movement are a part of that – and they provide a platform for communicating the message of the kingdom holistically.

In the realization of what it means to be a restorer, there is a call to action. And it includes a call to step out of your comfort zone to make real relationships with people with drastically different backgrounds, to work together with people of the same faith and different faiths to address areas of great need, and to stand up against ignorance and bigotry. It’s a call to try to look at the world through God’s eyes, to ask how things were meant to be, and to work to advance the kingdom.

Articles in this series:
Part 1: The insiders
Part 2: The culture warriors
Part 3: The evangelizers
Part 4: The blenders
Part 5: The philanthropists
Part 6: Restorers


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