I’m tired.
I’m tired of the outrage. I’m tired of the arguing. I’m tired of the rhetoric, the violence, and the moral indignation.
Moral indignation is one of Satan’s most subtle snares because, at first glance, it seems – well – moral.
We watch videos on the news and social media. We hear rhetoric from presidents, governors, and mayors. We perceive what appears to be bad behavior and then shout our outrage to the four winds (or at least post it on Facebook).
One of the problems with moral indignation is that it is often immediate and reactive.
I’ll be honest. As I watched videos of the recent events in Minnesota, I instantly felt a deep, visceral moral outrage. As I listened to politicians and pundits speak about what happened, words formed in my head and on my lips.
“That’s stupid.” “That’s wrong.” “That’s evil.”
I formed those opinions almost immediately – without having all the information. I formed those opinions, having filtered what I saw through my preconceived ideas and ideology. I was quick to judge.
There’s a deeper problem, though. When we become morally indignant, we are tempted to pick and choose the sins that offend us, as if we were choosing what food to put on our plate at Golden Corral. We are quickly offended by the ugly rhetoric of one politician while defending that of another. We decry the abuses of one group while justifying those of another.
When I counsel couples, we usually begin the first session with each person explaining what they consider to be the problem. They then take turns explaining to me what the other person is doing wrong.
True healing only happens when each of them stops looking at what their partner is doing and focuses on what they themselves are doing – what they need to repent of, what they need to change in themselves.
Moral indignation often leads us to lament the offensive sins of others while quietly excusing our own, which, somehow, don’t seem quite so offensive to us.
But every sin offends God. Our moral indignation is often pride. It’s frequently pharisaical. It’s usually foolish.
Some may say, “But Jesus turned over tables in the temple.”
True. But you and I aren’t Jesus. Our moral indignation is quickly mixed with pride, ignorance, and anger.
Thankfully, we have a God who loved us so much that he sent his Son to suffer the punishment for our foolish pride, ignorance, and anger. But Jesus didn’t just die for my sins.
He also died for the sins of our president, our governors, and our mayors. He died for the sins of the immigrants, the protesters, and the ICE agents. God’s love for them and us is boundless.
Love is slower, humbler, and more costly. It risks misunderstanding rather than indulging applause.
Moral indignation is rarely moral.
True morality is best seen, not in outrage, but in love.
Pastor Andrew Schroer has been a pastor for over 25 years and is currently serving at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Edna, Texas. You can find his latest books, “364 Days of Thanksgiving” and “364 Days of Devotion,” on Amazon.com.
