Don’t Underestimate the Power of Gentleness by IAN HARBER for The Gospel Coalition
If you could summarize 2020 in one word, what would it be?
Chaos, outrage, fear, unknown, polarization, or anger immediately spring to mind. One that wouldn’t is gentle.
But in a world tossed to and fro by the 24-hour news cycle, nonstop scandal, political upheaval, and ever-increasing outrage, perhaps gentleness is exactly what it takes to break through the noise, division, and hate. Maybe gentleness is the Christian’s secret weapon to not just diffuse tension and anger, but also to demonstrate the truthfulness and beauty of the gospel to our culture.
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We love helping others and believe that’s one of the reasons we are chosen as Ambassadors of the Kingdom, to serve God’s children. We look to the Greatest Commandment as our Powering force.
I know what you might be thinking. Gentleness? Really? I don’t think gentleness is going to solve these issues. I’m angry. We need change now! We don’t have time to be gentle. Gentleness, however, may not always look like what you expect. That’s exactly what Scott Sauls—senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee—addresses in his new book, A Gentle Answer: Our “Secret” Weapon In An Age of Us Against Them.
Being Truly Gentle
A Gentle Answer isn’t tips and tricks about how to be nice. Gentleness isn’t just about the things we do; it’s about who we are. It’s about our spiritual formation into people whose natural disposition to the world is gentleness—not passivity, not turning a blind eye, but approaching each person and situation with the gentleness of Jesus Christ.
