I have a great ability to make the mundane controversial on twitter. Tonight I mentioned that I’m largely in agreement with Anglican theologian N.T. Wright’s view of what happens to people who run away from God. In essence, they lose their humanity. They are only brought back with love and the Gospel.

This shouldn’t be controversial. It’s actually a 2000 year old theological concept. The nutshell explanation is that if God’s purpose is as Creator and we are created in His image, when we turn from Him and actively push Him away from us, we no longer reflect him and, therefore, no longer are really human, since humanity reflects its Creator. It’s more complex than that, but you can get the gist. You can hear N.T. Wright discuss this more articulately than me in this interview.

We see this in our daily lives as more and more of us recognize Romans 1 at play. Some have turned to their own depravity and celebrate in it. They have no respect for their own bodies or lives or the bodies or lives of others.

But what was striking — and the reason for explaining all this — is the reaction from a bunch of people who (1) had no idea what I was talking about and (2) have never heard of N.T. Wright. To be clear, it is not surprising in the least. It is, however, very telling about why I don’t think twitter is a long term proposition. The outrage of the ignorant will overwhelm it over time.

Honestly, I expect the antagonizing atheists offended by tweets about faith and theological concepts they don’t know or don’t care to understand, let alone respect. But what really is so aggravating in this, the Duck Dynasty issue, and others are the Christians who never say a damn thing who decide to speak only to say they’d have said something different. And then you never hear from them again.

I take the reaction to these sorts of things as just further evidence we all should be more open about our faith, theology, and world view. Christians, for a long time, took for granted they did not have to talk about their faith and doctrine only to find out now that many have no idea what Christians are talking about.

We live in a country of sinners. We ourselves are sinners. The Gospel is the only thing that will save us from ourselves.