It seems that when Christianity is discussed on digital platforms, opinions tend to divert into two separate camps along political lines. Conservative Christians and liberal Christians tend to pit themselves against one another, particularly on hot-button social issues. This further promotes the problem of binaries that we cannot seem to get rid of in the United States. Churches and people tend to draw hard lines on issues that are not always so clearly outlined in the Bible.
When looking at scripture, Jesus always seemed to be against the binary. Jesus was one of the world’s first non-binary thinkers, and in scripture, we see people try to push Jesus towards the binary, but He refuses to bend. John 9:1-3 states, “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.’” The disciples are only able to think about the blind man’s circumstance as the result of either his sin or his parents’ sin, but Jesus explains that it is ultimately for the glory of God. Jesus’ response pushes His disciples to think beyond the binary.
Yet, the Christian body is often unable to think and act in ways that move past dualistic thinking, especially on digital platforms. While discussions and debates can be productive spaces, it seems to often lead to the formation of two sides without much dialogue between the two.
When looking at scripture, Jesus always seemed to be against the binary. Jesus was one of the world’s first non-binary thinkers, and in scripture, we see people try to push Jesus towards the binary, but He refuses to bend. John 9:1-3 states, “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.’” The disciples are only able to think about the blind man’s circumstance as the result of either his sin or his parents’ sin, but Jesus explains that it is ultimately for the glory of God. Jesus’ response pushes His disciples to think beyond the binary.
Yet, the Christian body is often unable to think and act in ways that move past dualistic thinking, especially on digital platforms. While discussions and debates can be productive spaces, it seems to often lead to the formation of two sides without much dialogue between the two.