A friend recently sent me a link to an outspoken and aggressive commentator on the subject of Muslims in Europe. I listened to a few minutes of it. It seemed to me to be mostly correct in its content, but absolutely terrible in other respects. Let me explain.
There are those concerned with truth. Facts and ideas are their weapons. In this respect I usually agree with the more conservative/fundamentalist folks, though I am far less sure about the facts than these folks often are. But what bothers me is not the content, but the "spirit" in which they communicate their truth. Often the attitude that is portrayed is one of arrogance, self-assurance, disdain, and hostility. Folks on the other side often seem so sweet and nice and winsome, but wrong when it comes to the truth.
Wouldn't it be nice if, for once, we could have both love and truth? It seems to me that these fundamentalists (whom I tend to agree with ideologically) are really only speaking to their own kind. If they ever wanted to convince someone who had different views, I would think more winsomeness would be necessary.
Maybe this explains why atheists, homosexuals and people of other religions sometimes feel hated by Christians. Maybe we could continue to be just as concerned about the truth but add to it some love and grace. This is not about watering down the truth. It is about presenting the truth in love.
