How Should Christians Respond to Cancel Culture?

We live in the "cancel culture" era. Authors, celebrities, and artists are routinely deplatformed (i.e., they lose access to popular social media platforms) and boycotted because of an opinion or stance deemed controversial or questionable.

The opinions in question were often expressed decades in the past yet they are nonetheless dug up and exposed. As a result, people have lost their jobs and suffered significant verbal and even physical abuse.

While the "canceling" of public figures garners the headlines, we all feel the pressure of societies' weaponized intolerance. This hostile atmosphere causes Christians to be increasingly hesitant to stand up for their views in public.

How should we respond to the 'cancel culture' we live in?

For starters, we shouldn't be surprised.

In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul calls us "citizens of heaven." We may live here, but we are foreigners. We obey a different king with different values. The world says to serve yourself, and Jesus says to deny yourself. Society tells you to reject your enemies; we are called to pray for them. Culture says to get as much as possible; Jesus calls us to store up our treasure in heaven. Culture says to do whatever you want, and Jesus says to submit to His design.

Living for Jesus and sharing the Gospel will cause friction in a world living in rebellion against its creator. Paul was prepared to pay this cost. He wasn't just 'canceled'; he was criticized, beaten, stoned, and whipped.

While we can't avoid the cost of following Jesus, we can do our part to love people. As comfortable as Paul was with ruffling feathers and upsetting the system, he also reminds us, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." (Romans 12:18)

The Christians's response to cancel culture is ultimately to accept our fate as aliens in a hostile world and to tell the truth no matter the cost. Yet we are to do so with humility and a heart of love towards those who are blinded to the truth and enslaved to lies.

You may not avoid getting canceled in this life, but you will please the One who holds our future in His hands and whose opinion is the only one worth living for.