Big controversy here in East Tennessee:

 An art exhibit at East Tennessee State University’s Reece Museum is generating controversy.

The artwork, which is on display in the Fletcher Exhibit at the museum, has faced complaints from state officials, community members, and ETSU students who disapprove of the message.

The artist, Joel Gibbs, said his “Evolution” piece is a response to fascism. The piece shows a swastika morphing into a cross, which is painted behind a portrait of Republican U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson.

“The fascism we seem to have in this country has attached itself to extreme right Christian groups,” Gibbs said. “So I just figured by having a cross evolve into a swastika with him there smirking, it would sort of just give a, it’s a very large political cartoon in my sensibility.”

OK, politics aside (The Speaker is in no way remotely fascistic,) if one is to be reasonable, before knee jerk condemning this art, one must ask if Christianity deserves such a shot.

If one is honest, the answer is, “Yes.” Historically it is unquestionably true, including in the Nazi state proper, where the church sat idly by and did nothing as the Nazis committed atrocity after atrocity.  Such instances in modern America are rare and it is but a tiny, miniscule minority of Christians currently that ascribe to such things, but they do exist.  So, the artist has a skewed, in fact a very skewed, perspective, but there is a grain of truth to his contention.  How should a Christian react?

These days, outrage is the standard reaction. But then Christ Himself suffered unjust accusation and persecution, even to death.  He said:

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they followed My word, they will follow yours also.

This sort of thing is to be expected.  Outrage, though understandable, may not be the best response.  Said Paul to Christians in Corinth:

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God.  Do not offend Jews or Greeks, or the church of God; just as I also please everyone in all things, not seeking my own benefit but the benefit of the many, so that they may be saved.

So the question here, when asking how to respond, is what gives God glory?  Outrage certainly does not do that.

Jesus took His persecution in stride, reserving His outrage for when people defiled His Father’s temple.  When falsely accused, He simply bowed His head and took the punishment the world chose to give Him.  And there was no grain of truth to the charges against Him, unlike in this instance.  How can we behave in any other fashion in the face of persecution, wrongly administered, but born of some truth?

Our current public discourse in built on outrage.  Perhaps we should lead the way out of this current wilderness by being the first to control our outrage.  This morning, at church, I ask God for the patience and endurance to do so.