Taking offence is the best form of attack. So says the cartoonist Martin Rowson on the New Humanist website (strapline – ‘Ideas for godless people’ - link here). He writes about how difficult it has become to say anything critical about anybody – but about religions in particular. He contextualises his argument in the violence that occurred following the publishing of certain cartoons in a Danish newspaper some years back. That incident of taking offence was connected to followers of Islam but let’s be honest we can be quite good at doing it as Christians too.

I suspect a little jealousy of the takers of offence lies behind the comment often heard by some when the Christian faith is mocked or criticised in some way – ‘They wouldn’t do it to the Muslims, would they!’ And of course, they wouldn’t; they would be too afraid of the potential backlash that might overwhelm them. Who seriously wants to say anything that could lead to protest marches and the burning of effigies on the streets? Who wants to risk a fatwa against himself? So fear keeps them silent; the taking of offence has become the best form of attack.

Rowson makes the powerful point that taking offence has almost become a part of our culture these days. It is almost an integral part of who we are and how we react to the world around us. But as Christians is it not our role to be different to the culture we find ourselves in? Is it not our calling to challenge and change that culture? If this is the case then how much room can we allow in our hearts for the taking of offence over anything?

The antidote, of course, is to be forgiving. A tough call for most of us – and yet a thoroughly godly one. In fact, the call is for us to be God-like in our forgiveness. Just as in Jesus God forgives us, we are to forgive others.

And it is the forgiving person who knows what it is to be at peace – without which we will never be effective as we are revealed to creation as the children of God.


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