There’s a lot of so-called “hate-speak” out there today. What’s disturbing to me is not so much the attacks on Christianity, as much as Christians engaging in the same tactics. Must we stoop to the level of the world when trying to get our point across? Do we have to criticize a YouTube presentation that extols Christ but condemns religion? Doesn’t the criticism just support the very basis of the presentation? Wouldn’t it be wiser to just be an example of Christ while accepting that people have been badly hurt in the name of religion?
I realize that our culture is just too darn sensitive. Or stated more honestly, the influencers of our culture—celebrities, media, politicians, and even some religious icons—don’t like messages that contradict their lifestyles. So rather than remaining open to other ideas, they just cast other ideas as offensive or bigoted. By doing this, of course, they are themselves narrow-minded and bigoted. But since they have greater cultural influence and the attendant social and economic power that comes with that influence, they’re able to gag the other ideas.
But to counter such gagging, we need to be wiser in our communication. Rather than extolling hostility, we need to learn how to proclaim our message in a way that doesn’t water down the truth but also doesn’t stoop to the level of name-calling or finger-pointing. Do we really need to condemn entire people-groups to proclaim the love of Jesus? Do you not see the irony in this?
I am not at all drawn to Facebook or Twitter postings that totally insult my faith or political preferences. Those insults just drive me further away from their message. Don’t you think they are also driven away from us for the same reasons? If they want me to take them seriously, then they need to engage me with respect and dignity. We must do the same. Otherwise, we might as well dig in and prepare to win fewer and fewer souls for Christ while we watch our churches die. If we can’t figure out a way to engage winsomely, we will continue to lose this so-called culture war. (It’s actually a spiritual war, see Ephesians 6:10ff.)
A truly counter-cultural engagement would be one that shows respect and dignity toward humanity. Think about it, God made people in His own image. Granted, people are the ones who employ evil and extol sinful lifestyles as normal and acceptable. But the very same people are broken and lost (just like we were, or perhaps still are). We can’t win them to Christ and pull them out of the gates of Hell by belittling them or spewing the same verbal venom on them that they spew on us.
Let’s see, who was it that said, “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing?” Oh yes, it was Jesus! (See Luke 23:34.) My heart breaks when I see friends bash Jesus and I pray for wisdom on how to reach them. But I know if I just come at them like I think they’re stupid, they’ll just disown me and my message. And even if I “counter-post” on their Facebook a blistering, intellectual retort to their anti-Christian message, I’ve just played right into Satan’s hands. Therefore, I must figure out a different method of reaching them that isn’t the same hate-filled method they use. But I’m too feeble to figure that out on my own, so I must look to the Lord for wisdom on how to properly engage such anti-Christ hatefulness.
So far I don’t have an answer…do you?
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