Cultural Hostage Crisis

There's a scene in the Batman movie "Dark Knight" where the main antagonist, the Joker, has taken civilians hostages and - by giving them clown masks, gagging them, and taping guns to their hands - has made it appear as though his own cronies - who have concealed weapons trained on the civilians - are the hostages. When the police SWAT teams are sent in, there is immediately confusion, since the people with evident guns in their hands are actually innocent, and are being forced to play a part in the Joker's overall scheme. The SWAT team is misguided - through no fault of their own - as to who the enemy actually is, and rather than actually impeding the Joker's plan, they are contributing to it by hurting the innocent and wreaking havoc among the ranks of the good.

There is a hostage crisis going on in our culture, but maybe not the one that is so clearly evident. Many Christian pastors and apologists - or SWAT teams of Christianity - today are eager to take a shot at the first clown-mask they see, claim a victory, and look for the next target. However, I think this is where we so often go wrong. We are quick to identify evil and attempt to destroy the person wielding it, but we don't often consider that the "evident" danger is actually being held hostage by the true threat.

"And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will." (II Timothy 2:24-26)

Too often, our "evil opponents" are nothing more than hostage pawns in the hands of the ultimate Joker, sin. Many of them don't know any better; many of them are simply seeking self-preservation; many of them might actually take a shot because the last "police officer" that they encountered tried to kill them. But if we as Christians are in the business of rescuing hostages, these hostages need to be saved, not killed, even at the expense of our own lives.

It is unfortunately common to hear Christians and even popular "pastors" ranting and railing against individuals and groups today that they see as threats. Don't misunderstand - there are real threats from which pastors must protect their flocks. However, the hostage holding the gun is as valuable as the civilian safe at home. These angry men seem too preoccupied with destroying the clown-mask than actually saving the person behind it. Why is an arrogant anger the reaction to a person who is in desperate need of help, rather than compassion and understanding?

I teach apologetics. It provides logical, reasonable, and straightforward answers about reality and how it coincides with the Christian faith. It is fantastic ammunition in a theological, ethical, or philosophical shootout. It pains me though, when people with this ammunition begin blasting it at anything that moves, rather than clearly identifying dangerous targets.

That girl that got an abortion? She is likely held hostage by fear, gagged by social norm, and masked by a need to save face. Many people would present her as an evil witch that enjoys participating in a "pagan ritual". That guy that debated evolution till he was blue in the face? He is trying to find a place in the world, is interpreting data based on the only worldview he has, and was never told the ultimate ramifications. Some would showcase him as a example of evil naturalistic evil incarnate, trying to steal our good little homeschool children from us. That person who lives in an LGBTQ+ lifestyle? They have no reason to believe that what they're doing is wrong (and a red-faced, angry pastor reciting a 2,000-year-old document is no reason), have found some relief in this world, and are giving in to what the culture screams they should do.

I'm not saying that abortion, naturalism, and alternate lifestyles are correct or that we should shy away from discussing these issues and stating the truth. However, firing a volley of theological bullets will not rescue them. Are we accurately representing the One who came to save and heal? He came as a healer, teacher, and forgiver. When encountering these "armed enemies", our default should be to get up close and personal to see if they are actively gripping the gun, or if the Joker has taped it to their hands. We may need to undertake the delicate task of removing the gag to understand the real situation, rather than shooting the first clown-mask we see. In the paraphrased words of Ravi Zacharais, when engaged in a philosophical debate or discussion, we need to answer the question-er, not the question. Simply winning the debate helps nobody.

We are in the business of rescuing hostages, saving as many as we can, and snatching those stumbling toward perdition. Every single person is a masterpiece of our Lord; they are imago Dei. Do not, through your angry repulsion, kill them; help them come to their senses; aid them in escaping the snare of the devil; assist them from being held captive.

Let's go rescue some hostages.