Gag Orders and Wisdom

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?            

Unbelievers and Gardens

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6, NKJV). 

All the theology I’ve read about this verse indicates that it is God Who gives the increase; God draws unbelievers to Himself.  I often have to remind myself of this as I sit with other church leaders in discussions about reaching the community for Christ. 

But what is the motivation of reaching the community?  Perhaps our limited result in reaching others for Christ has been because our motivation has been wrong.  Maybe we’ve put too much pressure on ourselves in thinking that we draw people to God.  For example, I find myself getting easily angry at people for posting critical comments about Christianity on their Facebook page, but who am I to question them?  I don’t know their backgrounds or who has hurt them in the name of Jesus.  And what does that anger accomplish in the first place—nothing but driving a deeper wedge between me and them. 

So instead of trying to figure out some blistering response to their postings, perhaps I should instead pray for wisdom by asking God how to respond, if I need to respond at all.  The Book of James states “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (1:5).  If I’m getting angry at someone for a comment, then I ought to interpret the anger as a signal that I’m lacking wisdom in that situation; because responding out of anger will only make things worse.  My job is asking God how I can plant or water rather than thinking I need to somehow talk them out of their animosity toward Christianity and convince them to convert. 

I don’t force a garden to grow, but I do water it and cultivate the soil.  How similar is the soil of a garden to the soul of a person?  Both need nurture and encouragement.  We don’t stomp through our garden as it’s beginning to grow, why would we want to stomp through the soul of a person? 

How does this apply to reaching a broader community for Christ?  All I can suggest is leaning deeper into God’s wisdom for planting and watering and then getting out of the way as God gives the increase.