The greatest threat to spreading the gospel

It hit me like a ton of bricks

I know there are a number of national news stories that I should be focusing on to start off this MEMO, but I admit being distracted.

Yes, there is the continuing investigation into that horrific terrorist attack in Waukesha, Wisconsin last week, where Darrell Brooks ran over innocent parade participants. My heart is heavy for those families and that community forever impacted by such evil. And my anger is stirred by a national media that has seemingly moved on from the event, perhaps because the race and apparent motive of the terrorist doesn’t fit the prepackaged narrative they want to push.

And yes, there is now the newest COVID variant, called Omicron, that has plunged panic peddlers back into freak-out mode, despite all indications from those who have dealt firsthand with the variant that it brings mild symptoms. I fully expect to see a return to more stringent COVID measures being implemented by governing authorities when they think they can get away with it. What remains to be seen is how much latitude people will be willing to give this time. I’ve written before, and certainly feel this latest news of Omicron supports my belief that COVID is now endemic. It is here forever as a seasonal malady that we have to learn to live with, including a rejection of mitigation tactics that have proven ineffective and destructive.

But like I mentioned, even though those topics likely should be drawing my attention, I spent too much time getting sucked down a rabbit hole this last holiday weekend on social media. To preface, I made the decision quite awhile ago to make sure I was “following” theological voices on Twitter that don’t necessarily align with mine. Echo chambers are real, confirmation bias is a concern, and I want to expose myself to the thoughts and ideas that challenge the comfort I find in my own bubble – both politically and theologically.

Overall, it has been a net plus for me and I encourage others to do the same. But what I saw this last weekend was discouraging and depressing. Though Jesus told His disciples that the world would know us believers because of our love for one another (Jn 13:35), I witnessed professing Christians verbally tearing one another limb from limb in plain sight of unbelievers. It started with a debate over the work of so-called evangelical “deconstructionists” like Kristen Kubes Du Mez (author of the recent book “Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation”), and other progressive Christians.

I watched the exchanges, noting how quickly the major players in the discussion attracted legions of their own supporters to jump into the fray, spiraling the conversation into backbiting over everything from women’s role in the church, to LGBT issues, to critical race theory, both sides hurling awful accusations at one another. I thought about posting screenshots and even included them in my first draft of this MEMO, but then realized I would be contributing to the problem by amplifying the division. My point isn’t to make any of you despise certain individuals who said mean things to someone you respect, or to get your dander up like mine was.

So I’ll summarize by saying there were accusations that folks who believe CRT is dangerous to the gospel were “the devil” and “moral monsters.” In response, those who thought there was some value in the scholarship of critical race theorists were called “compromisers” and even “heretics.”

Just as I felt myself being pulled in one direction and another, tempted even to wade into the discussion and lend my voice to the brawl, I saw them. I saw the infrequent, but present, comments from atheists, non-believers, or skeptics – some mocking the dispute saying things like, “Imagine being this angry with one another over what a made up being in the sky thinks?” And I know that for every one of those that commented, there were plenty that were just watching, as I was, from a distance, forming their own thoughts and ideas.

And the one thought and idea that I know they were not contemplating was, “This is a family I want to be part of.”

That hit me like a ton of bricks. There are threats to the effective communication of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don’t fault anyone for warning against those in good faith when they see them. And I don’t fault anyone else for defending minority viewpoints from such accusations, provided they do so from the authority of Scripture. But I am increasingly convinced that one of the greatest threats is the way we Christians treat each other.

There’s a reason Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote to the Christians in Ephesus:

Ephesians 4

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Social media is a miraculous invention – a powerful tool of instantaneous communication and connection for us. And so it is anything but surprising that Satan is more than happy to use it to divide God’s people and inflict damage on our mission. One thing I’m taking from this weekend is to work extra hard not to let him.

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ICYMI

I wrote a couple things this last week I think you’d like:

• Christians, watch this coach’s press conference and then go and do likewise

• J.K. Rowling and the supremacy of Christ

And I preached a sermon from Acts 2 that I’d love for you to watch: