We’ve all been there. Maybe you’re joking around, you lose your temper, or you just have a momentary lapse of judgment, and you say or tweet something you regret. What’s the proper response to these things? Well, unfortunately, today, that’s not even being debated. The only response seems to be: CANCELED!
Here’s a shortlist of people or businesses that have been effectively marginalized, minimalized, demonetized, demonized, or shut down altogether for one reckless act, uttered phrase, or tweet.
- First is JK Rowling, the popular author of the Harry Potter books. She dared to say the obvious about genders. Luckily, she’s too popular and didn’t get canceled.
- Jimmy Fallon was called out for a skit he did 20 years ago when the culture and environment was completely different. It didn’t matter—canceled (by culture, not NBC).
- David Shore, an analyst at a Democratic polling firm, tweeted a study that concluded that race riots reduced Democratic vote share. He was fired for pointing out this truth.
- A Los Angeles soccer team fired a player because his wife posted racist comments—not him, his wife.
I can go on and on as there’s no shortage of people waiting in cancel culture line at the edge of the cliff. There’s no forgiveness from the cancel culture killers.
Should You Be Concerned about the Cancel Culture?
Should this matter to you? After all, most of us aren’t famous or in the public eye. Sadly, the cancel culture’s favorite victims are those who throw up a roadblock in front of culture’s funhouse; even a speed bump is worthy of calling out the cancel culture police. However, the cancel culture is rarely employed against those who come against conservative causes and is almost never employed when the target is Christianity.
At the same time, the Bible tells believers, in Psalm 23, “…even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Why? Because God is with me. In 2 Timothy 1:7, we read that God does not give Christ-followers the spirit of fear. Why am I telling you this? Because we shouldn’t gauge what we do or say—or don’t do or say—with whether or not we think it will get us canceled.
John 10:10 tells us that Satan’s pretty much the king of cancel culture. He’s not even trying to hide. This scripture is unique because it has Satan’s job description and then what Jesus came to do in the same verse. “The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy.” The thief is Satan, and canceling everything about Christ-followers is absolutely his aim.
In modern speak, here’s how it works according to the website, Compelling Truth:
Rather than being a new development, cancel culture is a natural outworking of a post-Christian culture that no longer affirms the values of the spread of Christianity. In essence, it has reverted to pre-Christian or non-Christian ideals, void of a Christian worldview. Non-Christian cultures almost always operate using an honor-shame dynamic. In this scheme, a person is judged entirely on whether society—meaning other people—approve or disapprove of them. What matters most is one’s adherence to the collective view; all other issues are secondary. Those considered “shamed” or shame-worthy are punished by others through exclusion, ostracizing, persecution, bullying, and even violence. Under the honor-shame system, these consequences are exactly what the guilty party deserves. In short, cancel culture is a social-media-driven form of vigilantism.
Now, this bears no resemblance whatsoever to what Jesus would have His followers do. Let’s look at the second part of John 10:10—Jesus’s goal. Jesus said, “My purpose is to give life in all of its fullness.” His commitment to His followers is the polar opposite of cancel culture.
The Bible and Cancel Culture
Does the Bible know nothing of this cancel culture mentality? Well, no. Actually, God’s Word talks about a different type of cancel culture, and it’s been around for a long time. It’s one so thorough and all-encompassing that, once it’s executed, it eliminates the need for any form of the world’s unbending and unyielding verdict in cancel culture. I’m talking about when Jesus went to the cross as a perfect and sinless sacrifice for all of humankind, and effectively canceled the debt of sin, once and for all, for all who believe.
Colossians 2:14 (NIV) says, “14having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” I like the way the New Living Translation puts it: “14He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” Friends, this is the opposite of what the trolls and cancel culture do. Instead of combing through years and years of Tweets, Facebook posts, and Instagram stories in order to accumulate a record of charges against someone for the purpose of canceling them, Jesus accumulated every record we have, including our thoughts, and He took the blame on Himself.
2 Corinthians 5:21 makes it clear that the sinless one, Jesus, became sin for us, so that we would not suffer the consequences—or be canceled eternally. So forgiveness is a hallmark of Christianity, and without it, salvation would not even be possible. So it’s no surprise that Satan would push the contrast of canceling the work, value, and reputation of any accumulated good, of any individual, that gets in his crosshairs. I mean, what more efficient way could there possibly be to fulfill his purpose to kill, steal, and destroy?!
So, the next time someone says something stupid, thoughtless, or ignorant, instead of initiating the cancel-culture countdown on them, or even before seat-belting yourself into the cancel-culture car, remember the debt Jesus canceled for you. Try forgiveness. I promise you’ll be glad you did.
Until next time, check out my new YouTube channel for engaging videos, and consider joining us at The Summit on Sundays at 9am & 11am Mountain time. If you’re local or in town visiting, reserve your spot for one of our in-person worship experiences, or meet us online from the rest of the world.
~Pastor Rob
aka, “P-Ro”