I have been reflecting on the President's call to cilvility in politics. On the one hand, we as human beings don't have all the answers, therefore we need to approach the public square with humility. That could be the foundation of our dealings with people. On the other hand, should there not be room for calling each other to repentance? The truth is, there are times when our hearts are not right, when in our zeal for our agendas, we trample on other people.  Should we not repent of those times? Maybe civility is not only the responsibility of the communicator, but also of the responder. Maybe the responder also needs to show humility (a willingness to acknowledge wrong and change) in public discourse, instead of just complaining about being offended.

     I thought about this as I remembered Jesus' encounters with people. Jesus did show gentleness and compassion towards people. He was loved by many sinners of his day because he did not treat them as outcasts, he ate and spent time with them. However, Jesus would not be considered a proponent of political correctness. He once told some religious leaders that they are hypocrites and that they will face God's judgment. Jesus hardly showed there a sign of willingness to dialogue. This demonstrates that Jesus' primary goal in his encounters is not understanding, or building relationships. I believe that Jesus' primary goal is to bring people to repentance. In fact, he began his ministry with a call to repentance. In Jesus' view, similar to the Old Testament prophets, Israel needed to repent of its sins, to return to its covenant with Yahweh. Why is this important? Jesus is often portrayed as a very gentle person who accepts everybody just as they are, not pointing out wrongs. In reality, Jesus favors humble and repentant people over religious people who thought they are good people. He came to sinners, to call them to repentance, not just to sit with them. He opposed the religious leaders who were not repentant.

    Jesus' blunt assessment of the unrepentant religious leaders, and the call to testify to hope with gentleness and respect seem to be contradictory.  The apostle Paul debates unbelievers, while Jesus speaks with authority, not as the teachers of the law. Jesus presents his word as final, not open to discussion. The apostle Paul calls the church the pillar of truth, while at the same time showing great respect to everyone. What does this say about the Christian stance in the marketplace of ideas? Here are some thoughts.

1. The proclamation of the Christian faith should be thought of as a proclamation of truth. Although the Christian can show appreciation for the wisdom in other religions, he must express his conviction that Christ is the ultimate source of truth.

2. The goal of the proclamation should be repentance (changed lives), not winning an argument or gaining converts to one's point of view. The Christian faith is not just an idea to be adhered to, but a way of life characterized by humility towards God and others.