The Cross and Cancel Culture

Last week a friend informed me of the current trend in which individuals are being “canceled” on social media. Since I’m no longer in my twenties I had to ask for clarification of the term. I learned that it is the public rejection of an individual on social media based on their liking, posting, or commenting in a manner that is deemed disagreeable by the one canceling. No questions asked.

Canceling makes each individual a judge who does what is right in their own eyes similar to the Old Testament Israelites (Judges 17:6, Judges 21:25). Currently viewed as a noble means of decrying societal atrocities like injustice and partiality, canceling lends itself to, well, injustice and partiality. As a Christian, I find this particularly troubling.

Christ Canceled Cancel Culture

When the Bible mentions canceling it does so only in regard to canceling the debt that we owe God for our sin. Colossians 2:14 informs us that God has forgiven us, “. . . by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside by nailing it to the cross.”

When we turn from our sin and trust in Christ alone for salvation, we receive cancelation of our sin and Christ’s perfect record of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10)! We no longer stand before God as enemies estranged by our sin because we are reconciled to Him as friends! This truth compels us to act in a manner worthy of the gospel in our relationships both online and offline.

He Gives Us All Things

Cancel Culture doesn’t just manifest itself in the act of canceling someone. It manifests itself in the hidden sins of the heart which fuel Cancel Culture like pride, bitterness, and anger. In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus equates anger with murder. 1 John 3:15 warns, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” The sinful roots of Cancel Culture run deep but our aim isn’t to flee Cancel Culture as much as it is to pursue Christ and the riches of His word.

2 Peter 1:3 tells us, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,” (emphasis added). Possessing the knowledge of Him results in wisdom for all aspects of life, including our relationships, and that knowledge of Him is available to us through His word! (John 1:1, Hebrews 1:1-2, Revelation 19:13).

Handling Hurt

The Bible was written to people who experienced interpersonal relationships with one another. While it doesn’t contain specific instruction for online relationships it certainly informs how we approach them. Wisdom for handling instances of hurt is also found in the pages of Scripture. Canceling is the easy way out. Christ calls us to something better, namely, reconciliation. When I consider how God reconciled a sinner like me to Himself through the life, death, and resurrection of His only son, Jesus, I’m compelled to offer that same reconciliation to those who wound me.

Proverbs 19:11 informs us that, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” Proverbs 10:12 says, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” Likewise, 1 Peter 4:8 instructs, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” A godly response to offenses is overlooking them out of love for the one who sinned against us and out of the love God has shown us in Christ. Perhaps this looks like not personalizing things that aren’t personal [1] and not being easily offended. If, after some time, something is so bothersome that it cannot be overlooked, it is probably wise to address it in person.

Matthew 18:15 states, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” This is a principle for implementing the early stages of church discipline yet the idea of approaching someone in person is helpful in handling hurt. 1 Corinthians 13:7 says, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” One manifestation of love is believing the best about others which may look like not assuming that each instance of feeling hurt is automatically an instance in which the other party has sinned against you.

Conversation Over Cancelation

Proverbs 20:5 states, “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” When we have relationships that consist of verbal conversations and time spent together in person, we create contexts in which understanding thrives. The root of Cancel Culture thrives in the soil of pride. The action of canceling someone moves the canceller into God’s place as righteous ruler over all.

Cancel Culture feeds on the lie that, “I am the judge. I see all and know all and therefore have the authority to act.” We may easily deceive ourselves into believing that canceling people is acceptable since, after all, we can’t be friends with everyone. Despite there being some truth to this, we do well to imitate Christ.

Natural limits do exist upon our relationships like time and distance. We can’t be friends with everyone all the time. Jesus wasn’t. He kept close with twelve men and was even closer with just three of them (Matthew 26:37, Mark 9:2). However, the Bible includes many instances in which Jesus was amongst large crowds of people and He had compassion on them (Matthew 14:14, Matthew 15:32, Mark 6:34). As we emulate Christ we can extend that same compassion to others.

The Bible doesn’t prescribe how many relationships we ought to have, how much time we ought to invest in them, and when it may be unwise to pursue certain relationships (1 Corinthians 15:33, 2 Corinthians 6:14-15). However, God will provide us with the wisdom we need as we seek to honor Him in those respective areas (Proverbs 2:6-15, James 1:5). When certain relationships remain difficult, we look to Jesus and rely on Him as we seek to overcome evil with good and to live peaceably with all as far as it depends on us (Romans 12:18-20).

Rather than canceling people, my hope for us as Christians is that we will cultivate a winsome witness online and offline as if souls depend on it. Because they do. When we allow the love of Christ to motivate our love for people, including those who participate in Cancel Culture, we point to the One who canceled Cancel Culture when He canceled our sin on the cross.