A Look At Broken Culture: Cancel Culture

Matthew 24:10-12

Can you imagine having something from your past drug up to ruin your life? I'm so thankful that I did not grow up in the age of cell phones. I have said a lot of dumb things in my life. We all have. During the height of this movement, people were having things from 10-15 years back brought up to attack their character. It was as though there was no room for people to grow, mature, and change. There was no redemption of past transgressions. If you were found to have committed one of these unpardonable sins, which no one really knew what they were, then you were sentenced to having your life publicly destroyed.

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And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Matthew 24:10-12

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The concept of cancel culture is not new. Whether it was exiling someone from a kingdom, shunning someone in the Amish community, kicking someone out of the synagogue, or excommunication from the Catholic church, each of these had their lives drastically changed because their social circles and ability to provide for themselves economically were drastically changed. What has changed is the intensity and frequency of which the pressure was applied. Historically, these forms of canceling were done in the public domain in person, and it was only really on a local scale. Today the pressure can be applied via social media from around the world. Those launching their attacks do not have to know the individual or even be in close proximity. They simply have to exhibit a moral outrage over their perceived offense.

Jesus was telling His disciples that in the times before His return people would be offended. Doesn't that describe our world today? People are offended about EVERYTHING! If there isn't enough for people to be offended about, there are some who keep inventing new things to be offended about. University professors are trying to get their moment in the spotlight by coming up with the next reason people need to be upset about something. This leads to people hating other people because they are offended.

Canceling people is completely unBiblical and unGodly. As Christians, we have been forgiven by God of our sins. We legitimately offended His holiness and yet He forgave us. Now, we want to hold onto the grudges we harbor against people who we simply perceive have offended us. There may be no real harm, but because they said something we do not agree with we treat them as public enemy number one.

In Matthew 6, Jesus was teaching His disciples how to pray. He followed up "The Lord's Prayer" with this teaching: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15). Jesus said if we refuse to forgive those who offended us, then God will not forgive us when we offend Him. Our grudge is nothing to be compared with God's judgment for sin. The reason we can call ourselves "Christians" is because we have been brought into a right relationship with God by His forgiveness of our sins. Why would we jeopardize that with a petty grudge?

Father, this world is going to do what it is going to do. Help us to not be like the world. I pray that Your children would understand that we cannot take part in something so unGodly as cancel culture. Help us to be the opposite. May we be people who love, redeem, restore, and accept those we can because You did that for us.