Rather than blaming the amorphous “cancel culture” for undermining the message and mission of Christ, perhaps we Christians should do a little self-reflection on how we, ourselves, cancel Christ on a regular basis.
We cancel Christ when we demonize immigrants and refugees seeking safe asylum.
We cancel Christ when we discriminate against people with different sexual orientations or gender identities.
We cancel Christ when we deny the existence of individual and institutional racism.
We cancel Christ when we denigrate people trapped in addiction.
We cancel Christ when we defile the environment.
We cancel Christ when we disregard the needs of the hungry, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned.
The venerable Christian mystic Julian of Norwich said, “The love of God creates in us such a unity that when it is truly seen, no person can separate themselves from another.”
Indeed, our complicity in canceling Christ will continue until we truly recognize and embrace our unity with one another.
Keith G. Kondrich
Swisshelm Park