Part 2: Justifiable Hostility

Before we start “As We Are One…” Part 2, I’m going to pick up some key ideas from Part 1:

• What if we Christ-followers would still consider The Cause, defined by The Cross, as an overarching and governing category of unity and belonging and action?
• What if we who wear the Christ-label determined that any other cause, though worthy, is not even remotely capable of destroying the unity by which we pledge allegiance to The Cause?

If Jesus wishes his followers to be completely unified through a first allegiance to The Cause, how would he expect us to respond to the immediate social, moral and political matters that impact us locally and globally?

Is there anything unique about the way in which Christ-followers engage current issues and needs? Or, are we most effective when we adopt popular strategies?

This post partially addresses those questions. Hang in there with me.

Part 2: Justifiable Hostility

Over four decades ago, I was a young pastor in newly-formed church made up of eager learners. I was an outsider, learning to function in another language and culture, as well. Suddenly, the peaceful growth of the little group of believers was invaded by a new and radically-different set of teachings.

The people who arrived in the community to correct our “false teaching” were very aggressive, and began attending our worship meetings. A favourite tactic was that immediately at the end of the worship services, the newcomers would stand and launch into hostility-packed speeches meant to ridicule and to correct everything that we had just considered.

I felt powerless. There was no apparent way to bring the situation into control. And every day the new arrivals aggressively pressured the community members to reject what I was teaching and living.

This continued for many weeks—while I anguished and sought for a way to resolve the matter. The stress levels even produced symptoms for me that felt like heart problems.

In my praying and in my anxiety, God seemed to show me a plan of action. It rather surprised me. I was to avoid any teaching plan or direct response that would correct or challenge the new version of Christianity. I was to teach and live without initiating any direct reaction to, or contradiction of, the new ideas. So that’s what I did. To the best of my ability, I prepared my teachings as if nothing had changed.

I kept trying to build bridges of trust and understanding. I worked to diffuse the growing hostility, antagonism and tensions. It felt like the plan was a failure, much of the time. However, I also began to notice positive results. Individuals began to talk to me about the contrast in communication and styles of influence. Some began to take notice that hostility and ridicule aren’t the most effective methods of inspiring changes.

That painful experience began in me a life-long journey to better understand what unity means for Christ-followers. It also led me to better understand the tools and skills that are more likely to be effective in influencing people and bringing about positive changes.

I have never been the same. And this series of posts is yet more of that same journey.

So, when I watch the interaction of Church with the issues of our time, I keep thinking: “In what ways will the Church have the most impact and actually inspire changes in individuals and changes in our world?”

It’s sorta like a tool box. Tools are for creating things, for fixing things, for surviving.

All of us collect our own set of tools in people skills and in leadership skills; and we find that certain tools become our favourites.

What people-skill tools do we admire and esteem in leaders? If we Christ-followers are in the least serious about the unity that Jesus and the Apostles held up to be ideal, we must seriously consider where we are acquiring our tools.

It is so convenient to pick up free tools from the loudest voices in our culture. It isn’t long until these become normalized and admired. And once we get used to a source for our tools, we continually reinforce our dependence on that source. You want an example of that? I didn’t think so.

After 45 years of marriage, I have some different tools in my tray from when I started. I’m still learning that not all tools actually inspire change.

In 45 years of filling leadership roles that involve groups of people, I have also had to review my collection of tools, and to reject some that do nothing to inspire people.

It seems that hostility, outrage, and ridicule have become the more common tools for achieving results and fixing differences between individuals and groups—even so among Jesus-followers.

Hostility seems rather fun. At least it is when I have the power to be hostile.

Hostility seems necessary. It establishes the order of intelligence, of worth, of authority.

Outrage is satisfying. Outrage is the way to announce a superior position. It’s the way to embed my emotions into my principles in a way that gains the attention my principles deserve.

Ridicule is a subtle form of hostility. I don’t think it ever inspires meaningful change.

If I can’t make a confident statement about my principles without sounding outraged and hostile, I’m not very smart. On the other hand, my softly-spoken responses can be dripping with hostility. That doesn’t inspire change either.

Is hostility ever justifiable? Is outrage ever acceptable? Is ridicule ever effective?

Well, those of us who claim the Christ-label have one place to go for those answers.

If it matters at all what Jesus lived and taught, we will try to actually follow. By his example and teaching, I conclude that hostility, outrage, and even ridicule are sometimes justifiable—when I am willing to voluntarily give my life for that very person I’m feeling hostility toward.

That’s how Jesus exhibited hostility toward an oppressive and misguided religious system and its leaders:

• He spoke and acted with integrity, with principle, with passion, with authority
• Then he voluntarily gave his life for the very worst of those he opposed
• Through his resurrection he established the beginning of an entirely new order of justice and life and peace—not yet fully realized

He could do that because he could distinguish the persons he loved from the system he hated. I don’t seem to be so skilled at that.

“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” (1John 2:6)

Now, back to the idea that some of the causes that I am passionate about are actually worthy, necessary, and ultimately good for our world: What shall I do about those?

What’s the outcome I’m investing in?

• Is my main passion that we arrive at a result? Or,
• Is my main passion that I inspire people to own and invest in a worthy cause that will lead to worthy results?

When we fail to inspire healthy changes, and only determine to arrive at a result we will reach for the wrong tools. The same is true in the Church, in family, and in community.

Why can’t we Christ-followers seem to lead the way in choosing relational tools that actually inspire others toward the outcomes we are passionate for?