There are a lot more “quiet Christians” out there trying to live out Jesus’ character and love their neighbors than the microcosm of fringe weirdos, mega-“pastors”, and “Christian” politicians you see in public forums, like on X, Facebook, TikTok, or Reddit. Sadly, the fringe are the ones most likely to get attention.
The truth is, most humans thrive on drama and outrage, because it gives them a sense of purpose and meaning. People love a “cause” and to feel and express “righteous anger”.
I will confess, I have been guilty of initiating or promoting outrage and drama, myself. In fact, the process of typing out this message caused me to reexamine my own approach.
For reasons above, it’s probably too much to hope that the tone in public forums would be more civil, just like it’s too much to hope that Christians would be more civil, too.
Christ reserved His strongest criticism and true righteous anger for internal issues and showed love, concern, and respect for everyone else. We’d do well to adopt the same approach.
Examining, and even resisting, ideas through respectful (and even passionate) debate is a worthy goal, and it should always be done in a tone and manner that acknowledges the value of the person.
This topic originated elsewhere and I thanked the poster for the opportunity for introspection and, hopefully, growth. I’ll try and be more careful and charitable in the future.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
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