Snippet: Timidity and Bluster vs. Joyful Confidence

Snip·pet | ˈsnipit | noun a small piece or brief extract.

This one is from Trevin Wax at the Gospel Coalition website in a post called “Cheerful Confidence for an Angry Age”:

“On one side, timidity. A lack of conviction that leaves us perpetually hesitant, as if we should apologize for advocating for what we believe. In an age of doubt, this kind of uncertainty can masquerade as intellectual humility…

“On the other side, arrogance. The pomposity of pride. The smugness of taking one’s views (and, even more dangerously, oneself) too seriously. The stench of self-importance. Or of equating the rightness of one’s doctrines with personal righteousness. This is the path that leads to dismissiveness, to treating every opponent as an enemy and every disagreement through the lens of demonization.

“I’m convinced cheerful confidence is what’s missing in so many attempts to defend the faith in a pluralistic society….

Sadly, the church can succumb to this bitterness, forfeiting faith (by assuming the worst in others), hope (by losing confidence in God’s promise to make things right), and love (by keeping a meticulous record of wrongs). Fighting contempt with contempt is a fool’s errand, but it’s an easy trap to fall into. And far too often, we can mistake our haughtiness for righteousness.

“And so, in an age of conflict, we tend to go one of two ways. Some of us are so rocked by uncertainty that we shrink back into shyness, as if boldness were a character flaw. Others overcompensate with a bluster so off-putting that it distracts from the gospel itself, making the message secondary to the messenger’s self-importance. In both cases, the cross gets obscured.”

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Snippet: Civility and the "Religionization" of Politics

Snip·pet | ˈsnipit | noun a small piece or brief extract.

This one is by Alexandra Hudson in Christianity Today magazine (“It’s Time for a New Era of Christians Civility”).

“The ‘religionization’ of politics has led many believers to elevate political stances to the level of doctrinal orthodoxy—such that they become litmus tests for Christian identity. This, in turn, has led to us publicly question the faith of those who have differing views from us and to reduce complex individuals to political caricatures.”

And here’s another thoughtful snippet from the same article.

“Humility leads us to another vital ingredient of Christian civility: curiosity. Today, political disagreements often become moral indictments. In our conversations with people we disagree with, we subconsciously think, Because you support this presidential candidate or hold this view on this issue, I know everything about you.”

Hudson concludes the article with a quote from the Message rendition of Romans 14:1.

Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.

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