What a strange year 2020 has turned out to be. We could label 2020 many things, but the potential label that most concerns me would be:
2020—The Year of the Angry, Divisive Christian
Everywhere I turn—Twitter, Facebook, church blog posts, individual conversations—I read and hear Christians judging and condemning each other.
Turning Over Tables?
I often hear various supposed biblical “support” for these public condemnations. Things like:
- “I’m being like Jesus, who turned over tables in the synagogue!”
- “I’m speaking the truth in love like Paul commanded us to do to one another!”
Here’s the thing, not every turning over of tables is motivated by Jesus-like love. Some of it is nothing more than sinful anger.
Not every speaking of truth is done in love or motivated by love. Some of it is nothing more than arrogant argumentative false judgment.
Speaking Truth in Love?
Reading Twitter tweets and Facebook posts by Christians in 2020 often sounds like vitriol , sinful anger, argumentative arrogance, combative judgmentalism, and self-righteousness hatred. Instead of speaking words that benefit and build up (Ephesians 4:29), we spew forth unwholesome words of bile, venom, sarcasm, contempt, scorn, viciousness, maliciousness, bitterness, cruelty, and hatred. And then we have the audacity to label it “speaking the truth in love.” We have the arrogance to claim we are “just like Jesus turning over the tables in the temple.”
Paul calls us to get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and every form of malice (Ephesians 4:30). In case we didn’t hear him well enough in Ephesians, he repeats himself in Colossians, exhorting us to get rid of anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language. He then exhorts us to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:8-12).
In the original Greek of Ephesians 4:15, the wording is not speaking truth in love. Instead, it is “truthing.” We are to embody truth—and the particular word for truth means sincerity, non-hypocrisy, integrity.
Here’s the idea—we judge ourselves before we ever assess others. We humbly take the log out of our own eye before we ever think about calling out the speck in our brother or sister’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5).
What would Twitter be like if for every tweet judging others, we had ten tweets confessing our own sin? What would Facebook be like, if for every time we called out someone we disagreed with, we had ten posts pointing out our own failings?
What would our conversations be like if they were always full of grace (Colossians 4:6)?
Encouraging One Another
I’m all for encouraging one another so that none of us is hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (Hebrews 3:12-13). I’ve spent the past 30+ years writing about mutual one-another ministry. But what we see on social media and even during in-person interactions is nothing like biblical mutual encouragement. It’s more like outright warfare. We’re combative.
Then, when someone confronts our lack of loving confrontation, it’s amazing to see how quickly confrontational/combative people get so defensive. “How dare you question my approach or ask me to assess my motivation!” We can dish it out, but we can’t take it. That shows a proud heart, not a humble and gentle spirit.
I’m all for truth and discernment and proper biblical judging between right and wrong. Yet, the Bible is clear—there is a wrong way to confront wrong. There is a sinful way to confront sin.
And the Bible is clear—there is a Jesus-like way to interact with brothers and sisters. We are to restore one another gently as we humbly watch our own hearts—knowing we too could fall into even worse sin (Galatians 6:1).
We are not to have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments that produce quarrels. Instead, Jesus’ servants must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach and gently instruct, not resentful (2 Timothy 2:23-25).
The Anti-Corinthians 13
I was recently asked to read the “love chapter” from 1 Corinthians 13 during a relative’s wedding ceremony. I couldn’t help but think how as Christians on social media we have twisted our communication into the “anti-Corinthians 13.” Sadly, we could describe our communication and relationships like this:
“Christian social media behavior is impatient, it is not kind. It envies. It boasts. It is proud. It dishonors others. It is self-seeking. It is easily angered. It keeps meticulous records of supposed wrongs. It delights in evil but rejects genuine ‘truthing’ in love. It never protects, it never trusts or believes the best, it never communicates humble hopefulness.”
Taking the Speck or Log Out of My Own Eye
Now, if this post has any integrity—if I have any integrity—then I need to hold myself to these same standards. I need to check the speck or log in my eye. I need to assess my own communication by the standard of 1 Corinthians 13; Ephesians 4; Colossians 3; Galatians 6; 2 Timothy 2; Hebrews 3; and the rest of the Bible’s plentiful teaching on humble and wholesome communication. And I fully intend to do so.
Will you? Will we?
Gentle and Lowly or Hateful and Arrogant?
Will we hold ourselves to a truly Christlike standard of being gentle and lowly/humble in heart (Matthew 11:28-30) as we interact in-person and online?
Let’s not pretend and arrogantly assume that every time we confront someone else that we’re being totally “Jesus-like.” Let’s first confront our own heart.
Joining the Conversation
How would our in-person and online communication be different if we each held ourselves to the biblical, Jesus-like standard of Matthew 7:3-5; Matthew 11:28-30; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8; Ephesians 4:15, 29-30; Colossians 3:8-12; Colossians 4:6; Galatians 6:1; 2 Timothy 2:23-25; and Hebrews 3:12-13?
Let’s each think about a recent time when we entered into a disagreement with a brother or sister in Christ. Were we truly turning over tables in love like Jesus? Or, were we just plain sinfully angry, dismissive, judgmental, arrogant, condemning, combative, and defensive?
