Gentle Take

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Philippians 4:4-5 (NIV) Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

What it is speaking to me:

Same verses two days in a row?? Crazy, right?

Perhaps you have heard of the phrase "hot take". It originates as far as I know from the early 2010s in the world of sports-talk radio/television, as a tactic to get more call-ins and viral content for sharing on the internet. The hosts would espouse fact-free or controversial declarations about a sports player or topic in order to provoke angry listeners or their fellow hosts into an argument.

Honestly, it's a lot of fun to do with friends, at least as a dude. Go up to your buddy who loves Star Wars and say Star Wars is just a lame rip off of the far superior science fiction of the Star Trek universe. Then pop some popcorn, sit back, and watch him supernova.

Now maybe hot takes are not your sense of humor. I get it. They are mine probably because I grew up in a family of opinionated people. Dinner conversation about movies, pop culture, books, television, whatever the topic had opinions flying back and forth, often unburdened by weighty facts or supporting data. Some of you grew up like that.

Maybe too many of us did, because today our social and political landscape is designed around the hot take and obstinate opinion. And Christians can fall into the trap that they think that the world's approach to communicating its ideas is one to be modeled.

When writing to his fellow gospel-sharers Paul says "Let your gentleness be known to all men." The gospel was a "hot" enough message in Paul's time that it did not need to be delivered in the form of a "hot take" a hard opinion. It honestly still is a "hot" message and should be handled accordingly...gently.

The way we argue matters. The way we disagree matters. Whether it's with one another, or the world around us, Paul says what the people around me need to know about ME is that I am gentle.

When we are arguing with someone, do our opinions (even the right ones!) speak louder than the love and care we have for the person we are arguing with? If they do, we might be failing to live up to the standard Paul has given us.

When it comes to the gospel, we obviously can't compromise the message and the truths therein. Being able to be gently uncompromising is a skill that Paul is calling us up to.

(When it comes to Star Wars though...blast away)

What is it saying to you?

How do you share opinions? At least the ones that matter?

Do people describe you as gentle when it matters?

What are we going to do about it?

In one conversation today — online or in person — hold your opinion firmly but express it gently.