Whenever a public figure says something mildly controversial, the critics stand at the ready. In those moments, it can seem as if trolls have appeared out of nowhere, climbing out of the woodwork with their least-generous take and a cancel button. When we see it, most of us cringe. “There goes another hate-blogger looking for clicks!” We might wonder, “Are public critiques even necessary?”

Sometimes they are. J. D. Greear’s kind but clear response to Andy Stanley is an example. Recently, video clips of Stanley commenting on church leaders and homosexuality surfaced online. In the clips, Stanley describes biblical texts on the sinfulness of homosexuality as “clobber passages,” and he says pastors “who declare they are ‘affirming’ or ‘not affirming’ are taking the church away from someone unnecessarily.” In his response, Greear makes clear that downplaying one’s stance on homosexuality doesn’t serve anyone. It wrongly assumes the issue won’t come up, creates a false dichotomy between being gracious and speaking the truth, and, most importantly, misunderstands the nature of the gospel. He writes, “At the center of preaching the cross is repentance. . .  It means being willing to walk away from anything and everything in your life that competes with Jesus.”

It’s true that a public response like Greear’s does garner clicks; I’m sure many of you have already read it. But that’s not why I think it’s essential. I’m thankful for Grear’s public clarity, because through his critique, he shows us how to bring private correction. With friends, co-workers, and even our children, it can be easy to adopt a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on the toughest issues of our day. No one wants to be the troll at the family picnic. But if it’s Jesus who our neighbors and family most need, then we must, in love, declare the whole truth about him. I’m glad for a public pastor who models for us how to have those hard but necessary conversations. 

Grateful for the bold gospel,