Withstanding beatings, but not tweetings

Christians want to be liked.  And we want to be known for our love.  So the charge that we are “haters” cuts deep, and public scorn is hard to take.  To the point that we are sometimes tempted to adopt a more socially-accepted posture.  David French has some trenchant words about being a Christian in this new social climate.

From David French, Supreme Court’s Marriage Decision — Will the Church Cave? | National Review Online:

For many believers, this new era will present a unique challenge. Christians often strive to be seen as the “nicest” or “most loving” people in their communities. Especially among Evangelicals there is a naïve belief that if only we were winsome enough, kind enough, and compassionate enough, the culture would welcome us with open arms. But now our love — expressed in the fullness of a Gospel that identifies homosexual conduct as sin but then provides eternal hope through justification and sanctification — is hate.

Christians who’ve not suffered for their faith often romanticize persecution. They imagine themselves willing to lose their jobs, their liberty, or even their lives for standing up for the Gospel. Yet when the moment comes, at least here in the United States, they often find that they simply can’t abide being called “hateful.” It creates a desperate, panicked response. “No, you don’t understand. I’m not like those people — the religious right.” Thus, at the end of the day, a church that descends from apostles who withstood beatings finds itself unable to withstand tweetings. Social scorn is worse than the lash.