Proper 10: Gospel, Mark 6:14-29                                    

Mark 6:14-29

“Cancel Culture” is not new. If you either think it is, or that there isn’t such a thing currently, well you live under the proverbial rock. No, cancel culture has always existed where people had the courage to speak the truth. THE TRUTH. Not “my truth,” or “your truth.” (Popular, horrible “spin”) Truth, by definition, is exclusive, objective and final. Two plus two will always equal four. Stepping off a 30-story building with no net will always end with a splat and Jesus of Nazareth was dead and is alive today.

Truth never fades. Oh, it can be covered, colored and attempts can be made and have been made to cancel it. In our gospel today King Herod is trying to find a way that he can keep the source of rather inconvenient truth alive. John the Baptist has spoken the truth of God fearlessly to the corrupt king and the king knows it. And voices about the king are telling him, “Just cancel John.” But for some odd reason he values John. And he cannot quite bring himself to do it. At least right away.

External pressure is always the most active agent in cancelling an unpopular message. And as that influence grows, the “correctness” (another popular term) of the course of action becomes more easily justifiable.

I would usually counsel caution in reading any biblical narrative with eyes too modern. We always need to take into account the biblical issues in their own context first. But in this case, have at it. Cancel Culture is not new nor is it unique to our era. There are always those who want to squash the truth. They will always be on the losing side.