The company Target is in hot water. Their trans-celebrating merchandise geared towards kids has conservatives and evangelical Christians in an uproar,
calling for total boycotts.

They are making their voices heard to the tune of 10 billion dollar losses in 10 days (and counting).

It’s tempting to celebrate. What Target is selling is destructive - but do outrage and boycotts produce change?

We live in the age of mob morality and cancel culture, on both sides. We rail against it, while employing its power when it suits our agenda.

I am a follower of Jesus. I strive to love as He loved. And when it comes to making a difference, He is my guide. I don’t believe Jesus would have contributed to cancel culture, and there were plenty of people who deserved canceling in his day. Look no further than the tax collectors. Don’t you think Jesus could have rallied the mob to turn on Zacheus?

But that’s not what He did. He created an anti-cancel culture.

In simplest terms, an anti-cancel culture is one in which people of differing views can genuinely engage one another without fear of being shut down or ostracized.

So how do we get there?

1) Examine Your Motives:

The boycotter and the angry tweeter have one goal: they want to shut you up and shut you down. The goal isn’t about changing hearts and minds but silencing the opposition.

Jesus cared about people, and unless we are motivated likewise, nothing we do will make a difference. The apostle Paul warns that even perfect speech or bodily sacrifice without love is useless.

Before doing anything, we should ask ourselves, “Do I want to make a difference? Do I really care about the person or people involved?” If we can’t answer “yes” to both questions, we shouldn’t bother engaging.

2) Listen First!

There is a hunger for deep and meaningful conversations today. If we ask good questions, people will open up. But asking questions is only half the battle.

We have to really care, and the best way to show that we do is by listening.

In James 1:19, we are instructed to “be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to get angry”.
If that’s not the antidote to cancel culture, I don’t know what is.

Listening takes patience, authentic curiosity, and a genuine desire to learn. We need to have the humility to recognize that we don't know everything. After all, if we think we have all the answers, why listen to others - right?

As the saying goes, we have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we talk.

This simple act alone would greatly improve our ability to discuss anything with anyone, regardless of how different the person or difficult the subject.

3) Redefine Exclusivity

Much of the vitriol of our modern discourse is a misunderstanding of the term “exclusive.”

In the past, there was a healthy division between ideas and personhood. This allowed beliefs and views to be rigorously discussed while maintaining a respect for the individuals involved.

Not anymore.

The modern sentiment is that any idea that excludes someone is toxic and harmful. Of course, this fails to appreciate the exclusivity of that very accusation. Every truth claim is inherently exclusive - this is logically unavoidable.

To create a better environment for diverse ideas and opinions to be voiced, we must redefine exclusivity.

The true test of inclusivity is not whether we accept all views, but how we treat those who believe differently from us. Despite what our culture says, you can love someone and disagree with them - just ask any parent!

4) Explore What Is True

The best societies are ones in which every idea is worth exploring on its merits - but this requires humility on all sides.

Christians are just too certain about everything. The fact is, we live by faith but so does everyone else. I can’t prove that God exists any more than the atheists can prove that He doesn’t.

That doesn’t mean beliefs are blind or irrational. I think God best explains reality, morality, and life on earth, but I am not threatened by those who disagree with me.

I am convinced that every honest pursuit of truth will lead to God. This gives me the confidence to invite people to join me on that journey and trust God to do the rest.

As followers of Jesus, we are best equipped to lead our culture out of the morass of cancel-culture and into a more productive, loving discourse that may actually produce change.

If our motives are pure and our desire to love people genuine, we can make a difference.

But we aren’t there yet. Right now, we are better at outrage than empathy. We are quicker to boycott than serve. I think this grieves the heart of God - who saw people, not problems, and defeated evil by sacrificing Himself.

So boycott Target if you must - but for God’s sake, do more.