Cancel culture
If you have recently read the news or listened to the radio, you may have come across the term “Cancel Culture”. This refers to the practice of “cancelling” people based on what they may have said or done in the past or present. While on the surface this may look like an act of social justice, it tends to lack any sense of grace, intentional engagement, or reconciliation. This leads me to ask, “How would Jesus respond to these matters? Would he write people off for poor decisions, whether they be accidental or intentional?” Surely not.
When Jesus came on the scene, he invited people to a new life, saying, “The time has come … The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.” (Mark 1:15) This call introduced people to a new way of living; it offered them a new life! This transformative offer is observed quite powerfully in John’s account of Jesus’ ministry. In John 8:1-11 we witness Jesus responding to the accusations made against a woman caught in sin by the Pharisees. Even though the woman had been caught in an act of adultery, the Pharisees were less interested in her and more caught up in trapping Jesus: Would he obey Roman law or Jewish law? Instead, Jesus responded by inviting the person without sin to pass judgement on the woman. After everyone left, one by one, Jesus was left alone with the woman to give her the opportunity to be forgiven and turn away from her life of sin. This is how things are done in the kingdom of God!
As we look at the world and notice the brokenness in the lives and communities around us, it would be wise to respond like Jesus. Instead of finding satisfaction or joy in pointing out the sins of others, with humility we can seek to understand where others may struggle because we, too, are imperfect. Instead of being intimidated by other people’s sins, like Jesus we can engage in their lives and invite them to accept his forgiveness and turn from sin.
The kingdom of God is not a place of fear and reactionary judgement. No, as Jesus showed us, it is a place where all are invited to be forgiven and set free to live as he ultimately intended.