I am not the best at pretending.
Therefore, it is hard for me to keep my mouth shut when I see the world going to you-know-where in a handbasket and an ocean of blind people applauding how progressive we’ve become.
“If only we use the correct terms”, they say, brimming with confidence. “then people will see how wise we are and reject foolish, outdated ideas of morality and religion.”
Well, you can call a cow a chicken but it won’t lay eggs.
Anyhoo.
I realize that while engaging in arguments with strangers on the internet can be entertaining and feel good for the moment, it’s generally a waste of time and no one is persuaded one way or the other.
I keep coming back to what Paul said. Paul, formerly known as Saul, was a zealous persecutor of Christians. Until the risen Christ came to him and Paul had no choice but to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. The rest of Paul’s life was spent on one thing: proclaiming the gospel. This verse sticks with me as I wrestle with all the bull-honkery that has pervaded our culture :
Jesus Christ was murdered because he claimed to be God and then he rose from the dead and proved it.
The whole of Christianity hinges on this event. It sets Christ apart from any other person who claimed to have truth, as Shai Linne so gently expounds on in his song Jesus Is Alive: “Gandhi is dead. Muhammad is dead. Mao is dead. Jesus is alive!” (Totally paraphrased but listen to the song. It’s awesome).
The world will always reject Jesus and his teachings. Not what Joel Osteen says, but what Jesus actually taught. There is no point in arguing the outside actions without first loving people and addressing the heart issue: we are all lost without Him.
It is easy to get pulled into debates, and there is room for respectful discourse. And there are some arenas where there is nothing to do but speak out against evil. But where I can, I want to be someone who is known for my love, not the way I shut people down. Because more than likely, it will end up shutting them out.
I’ll be honest. I’m scared to live in a society where you can be cancelled for speaking the truth. But I know God has me and he is still revealing his love to people every single day. So I will try to keep the main thing the main thing and let Him deal with the rest.
Angela
Living Well 