Connecting Point: Truth in an Obscure World

A danger we may not have taken seriously enough, a danger that has grown throughout the present generation and now may be in clearer view, is that objective truth has been canceled. The effects of Cancel Culture are raging all around us; we see this in the daily news. Are we seeing the process of a disaster?

Perhaps we in the church have been too fearful to sound a constant alarm. I’m proposing a simple platform, striking up honest, personable, and intellectual discussions. Dialoging is something we should all strive towards. Faith and courage are required.

Chaos ensues without objective standards. I am concerned about moral relativism, when faith in Jesus is hurt. Through moral relativism a truth is distorted, then repeated over and over until the “mistruth” is accepted as truth. We are reaping such chaos today globally. The Bible provides us with standards. In fact, these are God’s objective standards given to us. They pertain to the significance of life at any age, our relationships with others, and our responsibilities as God’s creation.

With the hullabaloo of Cancel Culture today I want to offer a different perspective for the Christian. As I understand it, Cancel Culture is the practice of ostracizing another person or group by removing them from social platforms or professional services. Rather than adopting this frenzied mindset that alienates people, we should be intentional with others. We will not all agree, but it should be our goal to listen to others. Invalidating others isn’t an appropriate response.

Jesus modeled this concept of being intentional with the woman at the well, (John 4). He spoke with this woman as if barriers between them didn’t exist. In fact, it was the religious leaders of the day that adopted a cancel mentality with certain groups. The parable of the Good Samaritan even more directly teaches us to love our neighbor as ourselves. By the eighteenth century this was singled out as we know it today, The Golden Rule.

“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’” (Luke 10:33-35).

Loving others isn’t obscure; it’s how we walk in the truth.