Each of us is one Tweet or Facebook post away from being cancelled. It’s a thing these days. We have the power now to “cancel” someone – and not just in the online world, but in all sorts of ways. Over the last year the names of historical figures have been (and are still being) removed from monuments around the world, historical statues are being pulled down (one was even thrown into a river in Wales by an angry mob!), and peoples’ reputations are being trashed in the kangaroo court of so-called public opinion via social media using the cancel culture weapon. I say “so-called” because public opinion these days has been reduced to the loudest, shrillest voices a lot of the time – usually just a few speaking on behalf of “the majority of Australians”. Rarely is there an overwhelming majority view about anything much. But anonymous “public opinion” is often cited as the authoritative source for so many pieces across media platforms. But I digress …
J.K Rowling (author of the Harry Potter books) was “cancelled” recently for daring to have a contrary opinion about the transgenderism movement different to some LGBTQI voices. Enid Blyton (1940’s British author of children’s books) was “cancelled” some time back because of the apparent sexist, racist, xenophobic themes in her children’s books. Then it was specific episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine that were cancelled because of “classism, sexism and anti-environmentalism bordering on racism”, and so on. Now certain Dr Seuss books have been “cancelled”. You know what I mean, right? I get that we need to make corrections that have perpetuated wrong and negative stereotyping, but cancel culture is way more than this now – it’s a weapon!
Closer to home the shrill voices, including our state premier, have been attempting for several years now to “cancel” the venerable Margaret Court by renaming the tennis court named in her honour at Melbourne Park because her views “don’t resonate with mainstream Australians”. Says who? Then there is the attempted cancellation of Captain Cook, John Batman, Tony Abbot – and a whole string of others – for their nefarious past, or because they are deemed to have different values and unacceptable opinions that have no place in “mainstream” Australia. Who decides what is “mainstream”? Well, it isn’t the mainstream, it is usually shrill voices from the ranks of the perpetually outraged and offended. It’s not hard to offend anyone these days – just have an “unacceptable” point of view, or a biblical perspective. That’s sure to invite outrage.
This “cancellation” strategy is mean, cowardly, vicious and is now a weaponised form of social manipulation – bringing “recalcitrant” people into social line. It’s the worst of mudslinging. Careers can be destroyed. Reputations trashed. Lives ruined. The law circumvented. It is not about justice – it never is - but about the naked abuse of power to bully and demolish any counter voices deemed “unacceptable, even though they may be absolutely right.
But, let’s face it “cancel culture” has always been around in some form. Those in power in Jesus’ day tried to cancel Him and His message – they didn’t succeed. Communist regimes have failed to cancel the Bible and Christianity – that hasn’t worked. The church in China has been subjected to the most vicious cancellation persecution in modern times, yet one Bible is printed there every second – every second. (Last year 91 million Bibles were produced for Christians in China, and another 100 million secretly exported!). The apostle John was “cancelled” (exiled to the prison island of Patmos) but his inspired writings have been “speaking” in the New Testament for 1900 years. There are many others, too. In fact, all the authors of the New Testament were eventually “cancelled” in some way, but their message was not. You see, divine truth outlasts shrill.
So, in this cancel culture world with its almost immediate destructive power, we need to be wise but never afraid. Some things cannot be cancelled. Centuries of cancellation attempts – confiscations, raids, book burnings, persecutions and marginalisation and so on – and Christianity has not been shut down, and the Bible still remains the bestselling book of all time! The Gospel is cancel-proof. God’s Word endures forever. Look at what the Apostle Paul declared from his prison cell some weeks before he was “cancelled”.
“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” 2 Timothy 2:8-10 (NRSV)
Note the “therefore”, and stay encouraged!
You are wonderfully loved.
Ps Milton
References: Biblica (Formerly The International Bible Society, the Herald-Sun and ABC Radio)