“Cancel Culture”

The idea behind the so called “Cancel Culture” is that once a public figure or business says or does something which others find objectionable, you no longer support them. You are expected to condemn their words or actions and withdraw your financial support for them (especially in the case of a business). It seems about every other day news breaks that someone said or did something that has the masses upset with them and many make the effort to hurt them in every way possible. My purpose is not to tell you who to admire or how to spend your money. I assume you can handle that just fine on your own. However, there is one thing that stands out to me about cancel culture: there is no grace or forgiveness. Once you make a mistake, you are finished and there is no road to redemption.

I am glad that God does not deal with us so harshly. When God appears to Moses in Exodus 34, He describes Himself as slow to anger, overflowing with love and forgiving! Despite the sinfulness of man, God is continually pictured as giving humanity a multitude of chances to turn back to Him.
Perhaps, it would be best to illustrate this by using the specific example of Peter. On the night of Jesus’ arrest, Jesus tells all the disciples that they will flee when he is arrested. Peter objects and promises that he would die with Jesus before denying him (Mt. 26:31-35). When people come to arrest Jesus, Jesus has to restrain Peter from attacking the crowd with a sword (Jn 18:1-11). Peter later denies knowing Jesus three times (Mt. 26:67-75). The Gospel of Luke tells us after Peter had denied Jesus for the third time Jesus was near enough to Peter that he turned and they locked eyes for a moment (Lk 22:61). Far from dying with Jesus, Peter is nowhere around when Jesus is crucified. Jesus predicted and knew everything that Peter had done. How will Jesus respond to one who mistreated him so badly?

The women who followed Jesus were the first to witness the empty tomb and an angel told them to inform Peter and all the disciples of Jesus’ resurrection (Mk 16:7). Jesus appears to Peter privately (Lk 24:34; 1 Cor 15:5) and with several other disciples (Jn 21). Jesus asks Peter if he loves him and Peter affirms his love for the Lord (Jn 21:15-18). It is Peter who stands up and declares how Jesus was raised from the dead and brings 3,000 souls to the Lord (Acts 2:14-40). Peter was not “canceled” but he received grace! Without grace there would be no hope for any of us (Eph 2:8-10). There might not be much forgiveness and grace with modern culture but I am so thankful there is grace and forgiveness with the Lord!