Be careful, Christians. When you show more venom toward those who disagree with your politics than love toward those far from God, you are giving mixed signals.

You are telling those who disagree with you that you are not worthy of spending time or talking with them. The the name calling commences. The posts toward not only those who aren’t followers of Christ but even those who are trying to build bridges as Christians are maligned.

Then, when our “Jesus hat” is put on, we put out verses about how “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”–without connecting that the world we say we hate and cut off is that very “world” Jesus came to rescue. ““No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money [or material possessions]” (Matthew 6:24).

We sing on Sunday about God’s amazing grace and how it was shown to us, then turn around and show zero grace to others even in our own camp who do not line up with our way of thinking. “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:6).

Please, all of you who name the name of Christ, think missionally first, not nationally nor politically. For all of our concern about the “cancel culture” in our society, we must be careful as Christians not to engage in our own cancelling. “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

Be ready to talk with those who disagree with you. You may find out the “thing beneath the thing” they hold and begin to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:43-44).

Breathe before you pass on that meme or that joke or that gossip. Would you like someone representing you that way, and thus fanning the flame? “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12).

This is an opportunity for Christians to show that their citizenship is primarily in heaven where we model Christ (Philippians 3:20-21). Read the NT and see who Christ hung out with. And see who He reserved His most scathing rebukes for.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…

Matthew Perry, Lead Pastor
Arapahoe Road Baptist Church, Centennial, CO