When People
Jump Ship
Bishop Geoffrey V. Dudley Sr.
On Dictionary. com, according to the pop culture section, cancel culture refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for( canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive. Cancel culture is generally discussed as being performed on social media in the form of group shaming. 1
New Life had not done anything objectionable or offensive to be canceled by the culture, but to me, it felt like we were being canceled when people started jumping ship. Sheep scatter easily. When they get disturbed, they unwittingly leave the flock in search of peace. When New Life faced storms of key leadership leaving, the construction project stopping, red iron beams standing with no roof, and banks reneging on their word, a lot of sheep canceled me and the church. It wasn’ t so much because of what we did as what we didn’ t do or couldn’ t control. Jesus couldn’ t make all his disciples stay either( John 6) and no one can make a bank keep its word. Those details mean nothing when sheep decide to“ cancel” you and leave for other flocks.
In every cancellation, God is working out his plan. Nothing that happens in a believer’ s life gets past the hands of God using it for the good of building his kingdom and accomplishing his will on earth. God also uses it to develop the character of the believer( Romans 8:28). The Bible is full of biblical cancellations, some of which were orchestrated by God and others used by him to develop his leaders. Enter Gideon.
Today’ s society would love to think it invented this popular cultural practice of canceling someone, but as Solomon said,“ There is nothing new under the sun”( Ecclesiastes 1:9). In 1209 BC, Jerub-Baal( most of the time we call him Gideon) was canceled long before cancel culture existed. His fellow warriors carried out the act as he prepared to fight the battle of his life for the life of his people. God called Gideon to save Israel from the hands of the Midianites( Judges 6:14). The task was daunting, and Gideon had his doubts he could do it( Judges 6:15). After a considerable amount of time and testing by God, Gideon accepted this enormous call on his life, but that is when the story gets interesting.
Jerub-Baal, which means“ Let Baal contend,” had his forces cut. Gideon was losing
14