Cancel Culture and The Church
So one of the phrases that has been thrown around a lot over the last several years is “cancel culture.” We live in a culture that has become obsessed with canceling people, businesses, or certain movements.
And to “cancel them” of course means to shame them, call them out, or boycott them. You get rid of it in your own life and try to get others to join you and cancel them out.
Over the last several years people have tried to cancel celebrities like Bill Cosby, Lori Loughlin, Colin Kaepernick, Mel Gibson, Tony Dungy, and many more.
People have called them out and tried to get others to join them in boycotting their TV shows, movies, social media, and really anything that helped them flourish in this world.
This is the culture we live in, and unfortunately, it has crept into the church, and it is negatively impacting our witness in this world.
We become known for what we are against instead of what we are for!
We become known for being against people instead of for people, and Jesus is for people.
He came to give His life on the cross for the forgiveness of sins for all people and to provide abundant life for us all.
If Jesus is for people as the Head of the Church, and we are His Body, then if we are being led by Him, we will see people being added and welcomed into the Church and not being canceled from it.
Therefore, I don’t think Jesus is leading us to cancel people, but I do think there are some things He would like for us to cancel.
Here are 3 things I think Jesus would like to cancel in our own lives and in the Church:
1. CANCEL INSIDER CULTURE
An insider culture says that church is for the people who are already on the inside. It’s for the people who look like us, talk like us, and act and behave like us.
It’s a culture that says certain sins disqualify people from being welcome. People who are struggling with sin issues and haven’t gotten them worked out yet are not to be admitted. Those who don’t vote like us must be kept away. And on and on and on.
I wonder how we reconcile that with the words we sing in the popular hymn, Just As I Am?
Just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
We love to sing those lyrics when we think about ourselves, but when it comes to those on the outside with certain issues and struggles, we often decide we’d rather bolt the doors than welcome them in just as they are.
One time Jesus was being questioned about why he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, and here’s what He said to those who were complaining about it:
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
(Mark 2:17)
Jesus came to establish an outsider-focused church, not an insider culture that keeps people out who aren’t like us.
We even see this in Jesus’ final words to His disciples. The disciples were on the inside but He told them to go and make disciples in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. In other words, they were to go and welcome people in who were not like them…who were not part of their tribe.
And as His disciples today, we open our lives at school, work, in our homes, and in our church to people not like us - people who are hurting, struggling, questioning, and who are broken and needy.
We are called to cancel any hint of “insider culture” in our own circles of friendship and in our churches.
2. CANCEL NARCISSISM
The second thing I believe Jesus is leading us to cancel is narcissism. Cancel the obsession with yourself, your status, and your power. Cancel selfishness and the lack of empathy for others.
Here’s how Jesus said it to His disciples one time:
25 “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
(Matthew 20:25-28)
Out of all the people who ever walked this earth and could legitimately be obsessed with His power, status, and rights, it was Jesus (God in the flesh), but He tells us that He came not to be served but to serve others.
Then He tells his disciples and us that this is the way He will lead us in our own lives. He’ll guide us to love, serve, and fight for the needs and rights of others.
What makes this even possible for us is what Jesus mentioned about Himself at the end of v. 28, where He said that He came “to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus purchased our forgiveness on the cross so that we could be in union with Him spiritually. Being in union with Him means that as we walk by the power of the Spirit, He guides us in His ways of unselfishness and empowers us to carry them out.
This is the way the apostle Paul would put it in his letter to the Galatians:
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”…16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh
(Galatians 5:13-14, 16)
Your flesh is narcissistic. It is obsessed with selfishness, power, and control.
But you don’t have to walk in your flesh any longer because you are a new creation in Christ. You have a new nature.
So, cancel walking in your flesh and walk in the power of the Spirit, and when you do, you will find yourself not trying to cancel others but loving them as yourself and serving them humbly in love.
3. CANCEL YOUR PREFERENCES
One of the things that has become more and more common is for people to leave their church because their church didn’t meet their preferences.
It’s okay to have preferences. It’s one of the reflections of the diversity of God’s creations. We each have different personalities, tastes, likes, and dislikes.
However, there are times when we are called to look past our preferences for the sake of unity around the mission and purpose God has us on together.
Paul seemed to be imploring the Philippian church to do that very thing in Philippians 2:1-4…
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
(Philippians 2:1-4)
Paul basically says to them, “Cancel your preferences and maintain unity around mission and purpose by counting others more significant than yourselves and looking out for their interests and their preferences.”
In our own lives, this certainly includes things like the looks of a church building, the style of the songs we sing, and how people dress when they come to church. However, sometimes this even includes our ministries. Many of us have been impacted by a particular ministry in the church and then want that ministry to be elevated to the most important thing the entire church does.
There is nothing wrong with being passionate about our ministries and preferences, but we must keep in mind that our God is a God of diversity. He works in and through a variety of preferences and ministries to impact all people.
Let’s look for the preferences Jesus is leading us to cancel in favor of unity around our mission and purpose.
CONCLUSION
As we navigate our way in and through this world, we must be careful about how cancel culture is affecting us in our lives and the church.
We are not against people. We are for people because Jesus is for people.
Jesus will not lead us to cancel people, but He will lead us to cancel insider culture, narcissism, and our preferences.
Jesus will guide and empower us to welcome people in, serve them, and look out for their interests over our own.
May we not be a part of a cancel culture but rather a restoration culture.
