The far left who claim “justice!” as their battle cry have no idea what it means. While I expect that kind of foolishness from the secular world, it is apparent that many modern Christians also embrace folly as long as it results in a pat on the back.
Virtually everyone, no matter where they are on the political spectrum, has condemned the murder of George Floyd, and that is the correct response. Police brutality should always be condemned and corrected. However, because the issue has been exploited by the social justice movement, the problem has been twisted into something else entirely.
For weeks now, I’ve watched secular people and some who call themselves Christians, compare looting and rioting to the American Revolution. I’ve watched as they defend the murder of black and white bystanders as “necessary” for change. I’ve watched as they whine endlessly about their skin color. I’ve watched these people harass and bully anyone who dares to question their overly simplistic narratives on systemic racism and victimhood.
Brave Christians who dared to interject truth were told “now is not the time for that.” But apparently, now is the time to “listen” to cultural voices that, by and large, reject the authority of God. Apparently, those voices will finally eradicate evil and save the world. God’s message — that every person, regardless of class or ethnicity, matters enough that He died to save us from our sins if we submit to Him — can wait. I guess reading a book about “white [insert negative quality]” or posting a black square on Instagram are far more effective ways to change the human heart.
Sarcasm aside, I have a serious question for the more “woke” Christians among us. Does it not trouble you that your understanding of justice is identical to those who have rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ? The fact is, most of the assertions being made about racial discrimination in policing have been empirically debunked. Is that not a compelling enough reason to stop repeating trendy falsehoods? If not, perhaps the fruits of death, destruction, and endless demands might suggest that something within this particular “justice” movement is amiss.
There is nothing righteous about looting, or bashing someone over the head with a skateboard, or stoning them, or vandalizing or burning businesses. Rioting is a form of lawlessness, which the Bible condemns (1 John 3:4). The lawless think rules don’t apply to them, and they become a law unto themselves and that is sin (Romans 13:1–2). Anger, especially when motivated by vengeance or spread by self-seeking rabble-rousers, is never a trustworthy guide (James 1:20).
While I am disappointed to see so many deceived Christians, I’m not terribly surprised. For too long, the modern Church has rejected intellectualism and commitment to scripture in favor of feelings and personal experience resulting in so-called believers parroting popular talking points about poorly theorized concepts of “fragility” or “privilege.”
Rest assured, then, that if every major institution, popular influencer, and irreligious friend nods along in agreement with your convictions, you have almost certainly exchanged conformity with God for conformity with your peers. Reject these fruitless, inconsistent virtues. They will not save anyone.
Jesus told his disciples that if the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
It’s time for Christians to reject the lie that in order to win the world, we must be like it. Jesus said the opposite. Worldly voices clamor for devotion, but they will fail you. Instead, look to the One who is worthy. His justice will not disappoint.
Source: The Road to Hell is Paved With Virtue Signaling by Carmen Schober, the Stream
