2nd Opinion: Living out truth in the midst of turmoil

Our society has witnessed an amazing array of events in the past few weeks.

The Internal Revenue Service is on trial in Congress for practices that allegedly stem from political bias. Exodus International—a ministry dedicated to assisting gays and lesbians searching for answers to their sexual identity—closed its doors after 37 years and apologized to the gay community. 

Dennis WilesGeorge Zimmerman finally is on trial for the murder of Trayvon Martin. Aaron Hernandez surrendered his $40 million contract with the New England Patriots because he surrendered to the police, charged with the murder of an acquaintance.

The U.S. Senate finally passed a bill on immigration. Kim and Kanye announced the name of their baby. Senator Wendy Davis successfully thwarted an abortion bill proposed in the Texas legislature. Paula Deen has been cast as a racist and been dismissed by numerous sponsors.

The state of Texas carried out its 500th execution when Kimberly McCarthy was administered a lethal injection after being convicted of murdering her 71-year-old neighbor, Dorothy Booth in 1997. Dr. Kermit Gosnell, an abortion doctor in Philadelphia, was convicted of murdering one adult and three infants and sentenced to life in prison.

And the Supreme Court issued landmark rulings on voters’ rights, marriage rights and California’s Proposition 8.

Sweeping, shallow judgments

What are we to make of it all? I have read numerous responses to all of these events—and others I didn’t mention. I never ceased to be amazed at the hyperbole and venom that spews from keyboards across America. Today, Americans like to digest information quickly and make sweeping judgments that are simplistic and shallow. We like to divide everything into two camps. That makes it easier for us to distinguish the good guys who agree with us from the bad guys who don’t. And we often don’t recognize the hypocrisy and inconsistencies of our own positions.

For example, many people lamented the Supreme Court decisions with respect to gay marriage and argued this may be the end of marriage as we know it in America. I’m not in favor of gay marriage, but where have these same people been while divorces have crippled American families for decades? Unfortunately, heterosexuals in America do not have the best track record of upholding the sanctity of marriage in their actions.

So, what are we—followers of Jesus in 21st century America—to do?

• Remember we live in a free society. American Christians live in the broader context of a free and pluralistic society. We are still trying to determine how best to do that. We cannot coerce others to conform to our convictions. We live in a culture that values freedom of thought and expression. This kind of freedom is fraught with all kinds of challenges. Even with all of its challenges, I still would choose it over against other societies that are repressive and dictatorial.

• Don’t panic. “Wolf! Wolf!” “The sky is falling!” These famous expressions can inform us today. We can’t panic each time our culture seems to be headed in a direction inconsistent with our biblical convictions. We need to be clear-headed and sober-minded, particularly in times like these.

• Embrace complexity. Our temptation is to simplify everything. We like to quickly label, divide, choose sides and judge. We look to Fox News or CNN to add validity to our point of view. We tend to vilify and search for conspirators who can serve as objects of our frustration. As Christians, we must stop long enough to realize that we live in a complex time, surrounded by a complex cultural milieu. People are motivated by a multiplicity of factors. Life is not as black and white as we like to make it. Issues like federal rights, equal opportunity, right to life, immigration are complex and layered. Easy answers that make good sound-bite fodder on cable TV usually are not well-reasoned and grounded

• Be more thoughtful. As followers of Jesus, we need to be thoughtful in what we oppose and support. And we need to be thoughtful in how we attack and defend. There are ways to craft arguments and statements that bring clarity and force to a discussion. We need to develop the skills to do just that. Loud, angry voices will be tolerated only so long. We need to learn to offer reasoned defenses of our positions. This takes time, energy, prayer and thought. We need the Spirit’s guidance to illuminate our redeemed minds, so we can propose creative ideas that cast light on important subjects and issues.

• Be mature theologians. We all can learn to think theologically. We are all priests before our Lord. We have the capacity to study the word of God and hear the voice of God in its truth. We need to deepen our theological roots and grow in our ability to reason theologically.

• Be strong and solid at our core—and pliable on the periphery of our lives. This allows us the opportunity to relate to people who are vastly different than us and find common ground for conversation and relationship. We can do this without surrendering our faith. Jesus was really good at this. He was able to relate to sinners without bending to their point of view. Yet there was no doubt that he loved them. We can learn from his example.

• We need to be instruments of God’s grace and agents of restoration. Even the most ardent liberals in our culture admit there is a great deal of brokenness all around us. Even those who are convinced that Darwin is inerrant have to confess that evolution is an unfinished process. We can be forces of good in the face of the darkness in our communities. God can use us to address the broken and diseased sectors of our society that need his grace and his rescue. We need to do more than just argue, lament and express our anger over current trends. Let’s live in the mix of it all.

The events of the past few weeks remind us just how much our world needs the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have discovered this hope to be real and worth sharing. Let’s live out its truth in the midst of the turmoil of these days.

Dennis Wiles is pastor of First Baptist Church in Arlington.