These days, we see politicians, actors, comedians, activists, commentators, teachers pastors being canceled based on having a different point of view, wrong opinion, wrong tweet, wrong decision, or wrong anything. We see people being canceled socially and at times losing their jobs. People’s pasts are being scrutinized, and if you have messed up in any kind of public way, it’s very possible you will be canceled.
And think about it, not just people in the public eye We all have felt the pain of being written off by something we may have said or for a difference of opinion or political point of view or something we did or failed to do. We know what it is to be “unfriended” or dismissed rejected. We’ve all felt canceled by someone, and possible we canceled someone ourselves.
But Jesus will have none of that!!
Jesus called canceled people his friends, the drunkard, the thieves, the prostitutes, the outcasts, the lepers. What society considered the worst of the worst, He refused to dismiss them. He refused to reject them; instead, He loved them and befriended them. There is one kind of cancel that Jesus is all about!!!
Colossians 2: 14 says, “He forgave us all our sins having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness which stood against us and condemned us He has taken it away and nailed it to the cross”
That is the difference between Jesus and cancel culture. Our culture today cancels people for wrong things or perceived wrong thing that they have done or said…. Jesus’s way is to cancels the wrong things we have done.
The things “Cancel Culture” refuses to forget… Jesus refuses to remember: Psalm 103:12 “as far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
Jesus sets the example we are to follow. So whenever you are tempted to ‘unfriend’ because someone ignored your text or phone call, reflect on “What would Jesus do?”
When asked what the greatest commandment of them all is, Jesus replied in Mathew 22:37-40 “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. Love is patient and kind to others; love keeps no record of wrong love is not self-seeking love is not proud.” Jesus said (Mathew7:1-5) “Do not judge, or you too will be judged for in the same way you judge others you too will be judged with the measure you use it it will be measured to you.” Jesus warns us about judging others, for, by the measure with which we judge another, we will be judged. Jesus instead teaches us to reach out to one another not to cancel and reject but instead to communicate with one another be patient with one another, be kind to one another forgive one another.
As followers of Christ, we are called to set an example of love
The Bible gives us a great teaching that is particularly relevant for the time we are living in our society today
James 1:19 “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”
The definition of listening is to hear something with thoughtful consideration of what was said. In our society today, we see people who tend not to listen to those who may have different political, social, religious, or cultural views on things. We need to be careful we don’t slip into that mindset.
As Christians, we need to be building bridges thru listening to others’ views on things that differ from ours. We need not be afraid to have our beliefs challenged. We need to be prepared to present such a powerful, bold, and loving witness of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that it cannot be canceled, ignored, or minimized.
The Bible tells us we should be slow to speak yet on social media many times what we see are impulsive conversations which many times leads to unfriending them.
Instead of being slow to anger, many seem to have lost the art of being able to have a difference of opinion and still maintain an atmosphere of respect and friendship.
In a world where “Cancel Culture” is quite the rage, we can set the example of being “…quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger” (James 1:19).
Let’s remember Jesus words:
(Mathew 7:12) In everything, do unto others what you would have them do to you
(Mathew 22:37-40) “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself”
Remember… There is one kind of cancel that Jesus is all about!!!
Colossians 2:14 “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.”