Let's be offensive for the right reason!

"Love as Offense" cartoon by nakedpastor David Hayward There seems to be a lot going around on social media these days about churches and Christian leaders defending their right to be offensive. They all use Jesus as their role model, the supreme validator of their offensiveness. Their offensiveness is often things like peculiar worship behavior, rude and invasive social interactions, protesting and even preventing the equal rights of certain people groups, the marginalization of minorities, and the public shaming and condemnation of particular sins and sinners, or for saying absolutely ridiculously stupid things, etcetera, etcetera... ! The gospel stories describe the offensive love of Jesus towards hitherto unloved people and his prophetic rebellion against the systems and their leaders that protected and perpetuated these kinds of systems. I believe in and work for a love that nurtures unity in diversity. It can happen! I'm seeing it.