I had planned to publish an article today arising from our recent study in 1 Corinthians 16:5–14. But recent “Olympian” events have become somewhat viral, with Christians and social conservatives (not necessarily the same thing) filling up social media. I therefore want to provide what I think is a biblically faithful response.
Unless you have been living in a social media cave (not a bad idea), you might guess that I am referring to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, where a bunch of drag queens parodied Leonardo da Vinci’s famed painting of the Last Supper. Such behaviour, despite praise from many aren’t-we-tolerant social commentators, was offensive to Christians. Understandably so.
In response, many are pushing back, but in too many cases the push back is a far cry from the radical response instructed by the Lord Jesus. In a word, too much of the response is worldly. In fact, much of the pushback is a parody itself, disfiguring the teaching of Jesus.
I am bemused by Christians who seem surprised when unbelievers behave like unbelievers; surprised when those who follow the god of this world, well, follow him. What else do we expect? The irreverent sensationalism of the drag queens is offensive and reveals what a mission field the nation of France has become. Yet in our response, we need to be as radical as Jesus taught us. That is, we need to accept his words:
In other words, Christians should expect a hostile environment. And when offended for our faith in Christ, when offended because we love our Saviour, we need to respond in a radically different way than the reactionary temper of society. As Paul reenforced, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). After all, vengeance belongs, not to us, but to the Lord (v. 19).
Our Lord clearly instructs his disciples to not respond in kind to those who mistreat either his gospel or his church. Sadly, this is precisely what so many are doing in response to the drag queens. Since pagans who live like pagans have been loud in their defiance, Christians somehow think they should be louder in their push back. Since a secular culture (after all, we are talking about France) mocks our Lord and what we believe, many Christians feel justified to mock back. But this, of course, is not only unhelpful; it is, more to the point, unbiblical.
Rather than angrily pushing back, expecting Christ-rejecters to behave like Christ-lovers, Christians, energised by the gospel, fuelled by compassion for unbelievers, and confident in the power of the gospel, will guard our tongues and restrain our texts. That, brothers and sisters is, radical.
If a blind man steps on my toes, berating him is not a righteous response. On the other hand, if someone with healthy eyesight stomps on my foot, that is probably a different matter. In other words, we should probably be “harder” on the sins of fellow Christians than the sinful folly of pagans. When tempted to join social media pundits in their snarky denouncement, Christians rather might be better served to exercise healthy self-examination. Take, for instance, a professing Christian like Donald Trump, who claims to stand for what is righteous while boasting that he’s never needed to ask for forgiveness, or joined a local church, for that matter. I wonder, how many of those pushing back on the mockery of the Last Supper are faithful when their local church participates in the Lord’s Supper? I’d love to ask Donald Trump that question. Just because you can shout at irreverence is no proof of a regenerate heart.
To be more provocative, I wonder how many Christians irate over the drag queens will substitute gathering with God’s people this Lord’s Day for gathering at the Olympic stadium. Is not such secularising of the Lord’s Day also a parody of what the Lord Jesus Christ established when he rose from the dead? In the Paris Olympics of 2024, Eric Liddell would be offended at the drag queens. But at the 1924 Paris Olympics, he was offended at the secularising of the Lord’s Day. In fact, someone made a movie about it!
Chariots of Fire is famous, not because Eric Liddell harangued a secular culture, but rather because, with deep Christ-centred conviction, he quietly took a stand. He respectfully disagreed with racing on the Lord’s Day—even in the Olympics—knowing that most would not understand his love for Christ. Contrary to the way many Christians are responding to the drag queen parody, Liddell stood his ground without expecting his unbelieving teammates to understand. He knew that those who do not believe the gospel have been blinded by the evil one and that only by the grace of God would their eyes be opened (2 Corinthians 4:1–7). There is a lesson here: Christians need to steward their displeasure at ungodliness and channel it in the right direction: towards sin and Satan.
I’m struck by how conservative pundits (largely in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom and Australia) have been quick to jump on this issue while they themselves pledge no saving allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. I am not suggesting there is no space for social commentary on civil decency. I am saying that Christians should not take their responsive cue from the likes of Fox News. Listen to Jesus and Paul rather than being stirred up by Pierce Morgan, Douglas Murray, Ben Shapiro, or Tucker Carlson. Though we may share their disgust at the outlandish, I seriously doubt they will provide a biblically-informed Christian response.
Christians should take a stand for those who cannot defend themselves (Proverbs 31:8–9). For instance, Christians should oppose politicians and political parties who endorse killing babies. Picketing abortion mills is justifiable. But when it comes to matters of ideology in which Christians are mocked (as with the drag queen debacle), we are to cast down false ideas primarily through the message of the gospel, not through angry posts (2 Corinthians 10:3–6). That is, Christians fight fire with the water of the word.
But further, the Lord doesn’t need us to defend him against unbelieving mockers. Jesus Christ has all power in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). He is at the right hand of the Father, joining him in scorning the Parisian scorners, while offering peace to those who lay down their rebellious arms (Psalm 2). In the meanwhile, the church’s assignment is to proclaim the terms of that peace treaty as revealed in the gospel.
To conclude, all the boycotts and all the social media vitriol in the world will never turn a drag queen into a devoted follower of the King. Therefore, let us think before we speak (or text!). Then, while grieving over a Christ-rejecting world, let’s trust our Lord and Saviour who, at his Last Supper, said, “I give my body and my blood for you.” No doubt the “you” includes some who today are currently spiritually blind drag queens. May God have mercy.
Grateful for God’s good news,
Doug