As Christians, We Need to do Better
Step away from falsehoods and conspiracies and amplify bigger truths
In the hours and days following the Super Bowl, the internet exploded with all sorts of thoughts related to the “He Gets Us” campaign highlighting one group of people washing the feet of another. Anti-Christians attacked the ad for highlighting primarily white Christians who were washing the feet of those many saw as being “others.” Some Christians attacked the ad for being too “woke” and not theologically orthodox enough. Others critiqued the amount of money spent on the ad when the money could have gone to something arguably more impactful.
And I just stood back and shook my head because people were arguing over an ad that I would have argued should not be necessary in the first place.
Because Jesus doesn’t have a public image problem. Jesus doesn’t have a credibility problem. Most people don’t look at the words of Jesus and talk about how off-base and out of touch he was with the general population.
But I’ve spent time on Twitter and now on Threads. I’ve seen the social media debates between Christians and non-Christians. I’ve seen the vitriol that has only increased since 2016. And non-Christians don’t have a problem with Jesus; they have a problem with Christians.1
And who can blame them? When all you’ve been exposed to is American Christianity in the form of Evangelicalism fused with conservative politics, it’s hard to believe that Christianity is anything different than what you see on the nightly news, at school board meetings, and in front of abortion clinics.
When I was a kid, there was a common campfire song that went, “They will know we are Christians by our love.” I’ve begun to wonder if that was ever really true. More and more, it feels like the loudest voices in the room are focused on demonstrating their faith by proclaiming what they hate instead.
And that posturing is not producing good fruit.
Many Evangelical leaders have been caught in predatory sexual scandals in the last several years and people are starting to think that it’s a feature, not a bug. The Trad Wife movement is attacking women who don’t dedicate their every moment to house and home, attempting to give credibility to misogynistic attacks on the feminist movement. Teachers and librarians are losing their livelihoods for making sure that marginalized children get their hands on books that speak to their experiences. Women who have spent thousands of dollars to start their families are being left in the lurch because the pro-life movement did not fully think through what would happen if Roe were overturned.2
The earliest Christians were countercultural because they offered good news to those who were willing to listen, but they never forced them to listen or even live as they were living.
Several years ago I decided that my new approach to social media engagement was going to start with the question: “Does this further the Kingdom?”
The point of starting with that question was the idea that I didn’t want people to see what I was posting and be turned off from Jesus. I wanted what I posted to make my non-Christian friends curious. I wanted to show them that I loved them despite what they believed. I wanted them to know that I was still someone who could be trusted. I didn’t want them to see what I was writing and posting and say “See, this is why I don’t trust Christians.”
Have I been perfect? Nope. I’ve made some huge missteps and I know that people have been hurt. But I take a step back and then I keep trying.
I made that imperfect commitment because I saw far too much hateful and hurtful discourse coming from my fellow Christians. It was even more troubling when it was coming from loved ones.
As Christians, God calls us to a higher standard. When people see us, they see Jesus. We cannot just write it off as being sinners living in a sinful world. Jesus was sent to heal the broken. He was sent to make all things new. If we believe that there will someday be a new creation, we need to act as if that new creation truly matters. It is not up to us to change hearts and minds, but it is absolutely on us if our behavior turns people away from the very faith that we see as fulfilling and life-changing.
If you are going to lean into disproven conspiracy theories, why should anyone believe you when you talk about Jesus? If you deny that humans are responsible for climate change and argue that we should put profits and progress over the health of the planet and everything living on it, how can you expect people to believe that you see creation as a gift from a loving God? If you make insensitive jokes about DEI, how can anyone trust you when you say that you aren’t racist and you love all people equally? If you are going to prioritize the Second Amendment over the safety of your fellow citizens, why should anyone believe you when you proclaim “faith over fear”?
I know I’m not the only Christian who is tired. I know I’m not the only Christian who has had to ask a lot of questions while fielding the same questions from those who do not share our faith. But there are days that knowledge doesn’t make it any less lonely.
We need to do better, because if people can’t trust that we have valuable truth to share, the failure is on us.
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I’m ignoring the people who argue that Jesus didn’t even exist because…that’s not an argument worth having. He’s a historical figure. He’s in the historical record. End of story.
And that issue alone is full of layers and layers of discussion to be had.
Very nicely worded, Sarah. I completely agree with everything you said.