by Joanie Butman
The term cancel culture is touted as a new social phenomenon, but the practice has been around forever. The Amish have a similar custom called shunning and use it as a form of punishment for members who violate the rules and beliefs of their community. I can’t speak for boys, but middle-school and high-school girls employ the shunning tactic quite effectively – and some never outgrow it. The birth of social media has raised this practice to new heights. The current cancel culture and shunning may not be synonymous, but both are punitive and involve public shaming.
There’s no question that we’re all responsible for our words and actions. Both have unavoidable consequences. However, we’re all human and make mistakes. It’s how you behave after that should define you - not the mistake. We have the capacity to evolve, to learn from our errors and use them as teaching tools. Brene Brown, the guru of shame, teaches that shame is never known to lead us toward positive change. It corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change. You cannot shame or belittle people into changing their behaviors. My Catholic school experience supports her thesis. Conversely, I’ve seen (and experienced) extraordinary change ignited by love.
If you look back through history, you won’t find perfect people. They don’t exist. That doesn’t mean we write them off. Our founding fathers were flawed for sure. Yet they had a dream to create a democracy where all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Has their dream been realized? Not yet. However, the freedoms those imperfect men fought for are exactly what allows us to enjoy the liberty to speak out, call for reform, and take steps to ensure it happens.
God has a plan for the world, but His plan hasn’t been completed yet either. And it won’t be until Christ comes again. Why is that? Because the world is inhabited by imperfect people. The Bible is full of ordinary, imperfect people being used by God in extraordinary ways. Sometimes we get it right. More often we don’t. Historically, religion has got to be the most obvious example of humans taking a Divine Commission and distorting it beyond recognition. That said, God can use anything for good.
Blessedly, Christ’s sacrifice, love and mercy cover our imperfections. He will never cancel us but is eager to cancel our sin if we choose to surrender it to Him. It’s our flaws that bring us closer to Him as they highlight our need for a Savior. They humble us and create a teachable heart. Canceling, on the other hand, doesn’t change the hearts of people for better. You can’t hope to transform someone you’ve cut off. The fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) are the divine tools we are instructed to use in all our interactions. It’s only through them that we have any hope to carry out Christ’s instruction to love your neighbor as yourself. We need to choose to view others through the filter of God’s love and treat them accordingly. We’re all a work in progress - if we’re willing.
Choose wisely.