Should Christians Address Current Events?
We should exercise caution in how we respond to our culture.
“Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.” (Proverbs 26:4-5)
For quite a while I did not know how to reconcile the above verses. They seemed like quite the blatant contradiction. Perhaps Solomon wasn’t as wise as had been advertised all those years ago? However, with time, I have learned to see the wisdom in his advice - there is not a single answer to the question “Do you answer a fool?” There are times where we shouldn’t engage the hog in his wallow in the mud-wrestling contest. Wisdom declares that we just drop the debate so that we don’t become a muddy “fool” ourselves. Engaging in foolish arguments can destroy our influence and can alienate the lost from listening to the gospel. We covered this concept in a bit more depth on a recent podcast.
At the same time, there is a time to engage the hog lest he be proclaimed king by the audience he has gathered at the wallow. Those who promote evil can (and often do) seem quite reasonable, convincing, and noble to those who may not have considered the alternatives to their foolish points of view. It’s in these cases that we should pick up our spiritual swords and fight for truth. After all, we are “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13) - what good are we if we stay on the shelf and refuse to season the debate?
Do we engage?
I have recently seen a few comments or discussions where Christians that I love and respect have said that we should not engage in cultural hot topics. One post in particular claimed that Christians shouldn’t get into arguments (seemingly at all.) The interesting thing is that these viewpoints may have themselves been offered as a response to bad behavior that the authors had witnessed. Without any debate it is quite possible, perhaps even easy, for us to jump from one ridiculous headline to another constantly reacting to the bad behavior we see in our world. We also can engage in the mindless sort of arguments that siblings can engage in when one protests that the other stole their cookie. These situations can cause far more harm than good and can distract from our work of teaching the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27.)
While I understand the concern that some seem to enjoy wrestling pigs, there are others who are frankly unwilling to get their hands dirty. There is a time to answer a fool, and the work of the gospel involves convincing the lost of its superior point of view. Paul said,
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
Notice here several things that Paul points out: 1) We are at war. 2) Our weapons aren’t carnal. 3) Our weapons pull down strongholds and cast down arguments and things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. 4) When those arguments are won, they bring thoughts into captivity that leads to obedience to Christ. Our task is to argue for the truth of God’s word, even in the face of opposition. It is only the truth that sets men free from their sins (John 8:32). Only truth wins souls. Souls are won on the battlefield of reasoned arguments.
Live not by lies.
Satan has always questioned the truth of God and His word. His very first words in the Bible are “Has God indeed said?” (Genesis 3:1), and he continues to ask the same question. Recently, we have heard an earful about the trans movement. It is everywhere, in our face, and unavoidable. I was recently asked why this particular agenda has become so forceful. I think that in large part, opponents of Christianity know that if they can get us to confess that a man can give birth, we will concede any point. If we’ll believe an obviously false lie, the little ones will come easily.
Our generation would do well to study the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century. When Solzhenitsyn was expelled from the Soviet Union, his final essay was titled “Live Not by Lies!” One of the primary arguments of this piece was that the individual had the power to cripple totalitarianism, because it was built on lies. While they may not have the courage or ability to articulate what was true, they could at the least refuse to believe those things which they knew to be untrue. We can learn much from this. One lesson is that we should never put ourselves in a position where we approve of something that is evil or false. If we agree that the fruit of the tree is in fact ok to eat, we have joined the serpent’s cause. If nothing else, we must reject lies when we are called to endorse them - it is complete surrender to the enemy if we don’t.
Wise as serpents, harmless as doves.
When Jesus sent out the apostles to Israel, He warned them, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16). This is good guidance for anyone who chooses to teach the gospel. The gospel will offend many on its own, it does not need our assistance! When we call a sinful world to repentance (Acts 17:30-31), we should expect the world to turn at us with anger. Think about it, do you like being told you’re wrong? When I was much younger, I had an older brother pull me aside and kindly rebuke me for some behavior that did not match the title of my job. My immediate response was anger that he had called me out, but his kind demeanor and the private setting of the discussion allowed those emotions to quickly subside and give way to sorrow at how I had acted publicly. I am eternally grateful for his intervention that led to my repentance. This is a wonderful example of how to engage the world - with loving intent for their eternal good.
Paul said that,
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
If we were to break down the characteristics of love in these verses, and apply them to our interactions with the world, we would get much closer to engaging properly. If our arguments are patient, kind, seeking what is good, humble, generous, selfless, harmless, pure, based in truth, and hopeful, then they are loving and can be powerful and convincing. Now more than ever, we need to remind the lost world that we can disagree with it without hating it!
If we will ask God to give us the wisdom to be wise as serpents, harmless as doves, then perhaps we can properly wield the sword of truth to destroy the manifold lies that the satan has sown in our world. It is when the church summons the courage to speak the truth while loving their fellow man that the kingdom of God grows (Ephesians 4:15-16). Early Christians were persecuted, driven from their homes, tortured, and went to their deaths telling a dying world about the truth of a risen Savior. Through their actions, strongholds were torn down, and countless souls were rescued from the lies of the enemy. We have the exact same opportunity before us today. May God give us the courage and wisdom to know which hogs to wrestle and when we should.
Amen. Sadly, oftentimes we are ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Cor. 2:11).