Uncivil Discourse

Matthew 12:34-37

I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. (Matthew 12:36)

PERHAPS YOU’VE NOTICED A TREND. The advent of Internet culture and the public platforms it has opened up have created unprecedented levels of civil discourse that is anything but civil. Whether from the cover of anonymity or an ability to blend in with the multitude of other voices, people have gotten comfortable with filling their comments with venom and vitriol—to the point that discussions are hardly discussions anymore. They become just another contribution to the noise. And often the noise has a vicious tone.

Christians are fully capable of participating in this dialogue and taking on its destructive character too. Some go so far as to call people who disagree with them idiots and morons. Words that would never come out of the mouths of Jesus or the apostles flow freely from the fingertips of online debaters, and the same attitudes carry over much too easily into face-to-face conversations too. But the tone is only part of the problem. At a deeper level, people seem to be losing the ability to enter into another person’s worldview and see an issue from his or her point of view. We argue past each other, with words that fit our own worldview but hardly make any sense in another. Hammering away with biblical logic has little effect on someone who doesn’t believe the Bible. What would matter much more is being able to see through his or her eyes and then applying genuinely helpful biblical principles to very real concerns. We forget that the point is not to convince people of our opinions; it’s to open up hearts to the influence of God’s Spirit. Contentious debating and arguing rarely, if ever, accomplish that goal.

Learn to empathize with others and see from their perspective before spouting your opinions. Let your words be edifying, encouraging, and seasoned with salt (Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 4:6, NIV). If the tongue has the power to set the course of a life (James 3:3-6), use yours to direct your life and the lives of others into blessing and peace.

{Lord, forgive me for idle words. Use my tongue to express your thoughts, your love, and your praise. May I learn never to attack opinions at the expense of loving hearts. Amen.