{"id":24638,"date":"2025-01-21T08:00:14","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T13:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=24638"},"modified":"2025-01-19T08:21:47","modified_gmt":"2025-01-19T13:21:47","slug":"a-call-for-grace-and-kindness-in-a-divided-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2025\/01\/a-call-for-grace-and-kindness-in-a-divided-world.html","title":{"rendered":"A Call for Grace and Kindness in a Divided World"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Many Christians today feel attacked for upholding moral values rooted in biblical truth. We’ve often been ridiculed and marginalized by certain groups who mock our convictions. With shifts in political and cultural landscapes, my concern now is how Christians will respond after having felt pressured and pushed down. Will we return kindness for cruelty, or will we mirror the very attitudes we’ve been criticized for?<\/p>\n

Recently, David French wrote a thought-provoking article in\u00a0The New York Times<\/em>\u00a0titled,\u00a0Why Are Christians So Cruel? <\/em>The title alone is jarring\u2014it certainly grabbed my attention. In his piece, French reflects on the negative attitudes, harsh tones, and name-calling that many Christians have exhibited in recent years. While overt cursing is missing, the cruelty\u2014both online and in person\u2014is still shocking. It’s clear that many are angry about the moral challenges facing society, but the vitriol and emotional flare-ups often go too far. As followers of Christ, such behavior is not only unbecoming, it\u2019s deeply unrepresentative of who we are called to be.<\/p>\n

Now, with a shift in the political administration, it\u2019s possible that Christian values may face less scrutiny for a time. But my question is this: will we gloat, return cruelty for cruelty, or seek revenge on those who have opposed us? I hope not. The gospel is not advanced through harshness, and a mean-spirited approach only pushes people away from the love of Christ.<\/p>\n

Sadly, I’ve seen this kind of cruelty not just in online forums but even within Christian organizations. And when it happens within the family of believers, it can be especially painful. After all, we expect the world to misunderstand us\u2014but we should not expect such behavior among those who profess the same faith. At times, there seems to be a troubling lack of grace even within the church, as if we\u2019ve forgotten the importance of extending the same love and mercy that was so freely given to us.<\/p>\n

Now, let me be clear: I\u2019m not saying we should abandon standing for truth. We must always uphold what Scripture teaches. But the manner in which we stand for that truth is just as important as the truth itself. Do our words and actions align with the character of Christ, or do we distort biblical principles to justify our own sense of “rightness”? Are we wielding truth as a weapon to hurt others, or are we speaking the truth in love, as the Bible commands?<\/p>\n

If we want to understand how to live this out, we need only look at how Jesus handled power and influence. Though He was fully God and without sin, He rejected power in both word and deed. He entered the world humbly, born in a lowly stable, a refugee in a foreign land. He didn\u2019t seek political or personal power. Instead, He inverted the world\u2019s understanding of power by declaring that “the last shall be first” (Matthew 20:16). His words in Matthew 5:44\u2014\u201cLove your enemies and pray for those who persecute you\u201d show us a different way to respond to those who oppose us. Jesus didn\u2019t build a movement by overthrowing governments or flexing political muscle. His power was not in dominance, but in humility and sacrificial love.<\/p>\n

The Bible has numerous warnings against cruelty. Think of the story of Cain and Abel, or Joseph and his brothers\u2014both are cautionary tales of what happens when anger, jealousy, and cruelty go unchecked. Jesus himself tells us in Matthew 5:16 to “let your light shine before others,” to live in such a way that others see Christ in us and are drawn to Him. As a child,\u00a0 I remember singing 2 Corinthians 5:20, which reminds us that \u201cwe are Christ ambassadors.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0As His representatives, we are called to reflect His character\u2014to be known not for our judgment or condemnation, but for our love and grace.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s ask ourselves: How are we reflecting Christ\u2019s love to the world? In a time when the world is increasingly divided and hostile, are we adding to the noise with cruelty and judgment, or are we adding to the light with compassion and understanding?<\/p>\n

As Christians, we must strive to be known for our kindness, humility, and love\u2014qualities that will draw others to Christ. After all, no one will be attracted to a gospel preached by mean-spirited people. Let\u2019s do everything we can to live out our faith in a way that answers the question,\u00a0\u201cWhy are Christians so cruel?\u201d<\/em>\u2014not by our cruelty, but by our Christlike love.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many Christians today feel attacked for upholding moral values rooted in biblical truth. We’ve often been ridiculed and marginalized by certain groups who mock our convictions. With shifts in political and cultural landscapes, my concern now is how Christians will respond after having felt pressured and pushed down. Will we return kindness for cruelty, or…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[916],"tags":[8573,8576,8570,5318,751,108,8579,1098],"class_list":["post-24638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-god-relationship","tag-attacks-on-values","tag-christian-behavior","tag-cruel-christians","tag-division","tag-grace","tag-kindness","tag-online-behavior","tag-values"],"yoast_head":"\nA Call for Grace and Kindness in a Divided World<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With shifts in political and cultural landscapes, my concern now is how Christians will respond after having felt pressured and pushed down.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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