Galli Report 05.21.21

Two cheers for cancel culture. GR readers respond to last week's query. Skull mugs and rosaries. A second coming for “The Second Coming.” Beautiful storms.

Cancel Culture as ‘Church’ Discipline
These days, most people agree that shaming people for bad behavior is not the best way to encourage moral reform. For Christians especially, shaming seems to be a denial of grace. And so we’ve striven to remove the shame that had been associated with divorce, pregnancy outside of marriage, and alcoholism, to note just a few areas where shame had been the go-to response for decades.

But we still believe in shame, though we now reserve it for more heinous offenses, like overt racism or sexual abuse, especially of children.  The very people who argue we shouldn’t shame anyone who has same-sex attraction will not hesitate to castigate a man who uses his political or economic power to sexually exploit women.

So shame is alive and well, as well it should be for serious moral and religious offenses. Jesus pointed to one in particular: “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mk. 8:38 ESV). Apparently denying him is on the order of child sexual abuse.

It is also clear that Jesus was in the business of healing those who have committed the most shameful acts. Bearing shame is a crucial element in the atonement: “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2, NIV). So shame, while part of the story, does not have to be the dominant or last chapter of anyone’s life.

Nothing profound here, but these are some of the thoughts that popped into my head when I read “Cancel culture looks a lot like old-fashioned church discipline.” We may disagree with whether this or that offense is worthy of someone’s cancellation. We can easily think of silly and inappropriate defamation--examples proliferate.  But that some actions are intrinsically shameful and should be scorned is a good instinct. As Christians, we are compelled to add that any shameful deed, no matter how heinous, can be redeemed by the merciful Cross for those who repent.

What thoughts come to mind when you think about this topic?

Which reminds me…

Readers’ Take: Catholic, Orthodox, or Evangelical Ethos?
I very much appreciated each response to my query about which essay you found most compelling. There was no clear winner. The responses reminded me of the nice mix of perspectives that can be found among Galli Report readers.  Some quotes from your emails:

Liberals want to take us forward into a world that cannot possibly exist. Conservatives want to take us back to a world that never did. (Nick H.)

The David French article is so on point. I wouldn’t mind if Christendom shrank—a lot. (Gilbreath C.)

I grew up in a Ukrainian Catholic church—steeped in tradition and rituals. It is very different from the Roman Catholic faith. I found very little to embrace about it, especially the repetitive “blessing” of one’s self and the “vain repetitions” (i.e. “Lord have Mercy”) we are told, in Scripture, not to perform…. I wandered away from any form of worship … and did not set foot into a church for 19 years. I was led to the Lord, at the age of 38, when I became an evangelical (born-again) Christian…. The Bible is always relevant, and tradition and style should never take the place of solid Biblical preaching. (Theresa C.)

Bonhoeffer’s statement said accurately “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Christ’s way is the way of sacrifice, [and is] truth no matter what the personal cost…. If people come into Christendom without a willingness to count the cost of the sacrificial example of Christ and accept it, we build a social group with a nice label. (David H.)

Traditions I value are not physical institutions; they are in fact institutions of thought. By that I don't mean universities or the like, but rather learning from the thinkers of the past. Don't get me wrong, I love the Baptist church I attend but if for some reason it went away, I can always find another group of likeminded people to reform a new church. (Scott S.)

Stephen Freeman’s piece was the most cogent for me. While I don’t share his eucharistic theology, I find his argument compelling while not compelled to abandon my understanding of the Sacrament. As an “idea” person, I may be particularly aware of the limits of ideas and the damage that limitation has done to our common life—and maybe my personal life. (Bill T.)

Skull Mugs and Rosaries
“Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die” is about a woman who wants to, excuse the pun, resurrect the ancient Christian practice of memento mori, Latin for “remember your death.”  It’s a New York Times piece that, I’ve been told, you can access even if you used up your five articles for the month.  Just click on the link, copy the URL, open a private window, and enter the URL.

Hope Amidst Disaster
“The Whole Earth Shall Be in Commotion” is a thoughtful reflection on William Butler Yeats’ poem, “The Second Coming.” Being poetry-impaired, I appreciate writers who take the trouble to unravel the dense language of a poem like this one. I believe I’ve recently mentioned this poem here. Something about it grabs me, but when I read it, I’m not seeing the complete despair that many commentators say drives the poem. This is one reason I liked this essay which, despite the troubling reminders of the world catastrophe, remains hopeful throughout.

Speaking of Stormy Times…

Mike Olbinsky films storms, using time-lapse videography to dramatize their fearsomeness and beauty. Here’s one example.  It brings to mind the many biblical passages that employ storms as a metaphor for divine judgment:

Thus says the Lord of hosts,

Behold, evil is going forth
From nation to nation,
And a great storm is being stirred up
From the remotest parts of the earth. (Jer. 25:32, NASB).

as well occasions for God’s mercy:

They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm (Lk. 8:24, NASB).

Grace and peace,

Mark Galli
markgalli.com