I’m not exactly sure why this is happening but there are definitely places in the online conversation about the Great Commission Resurgence where I am seeing an element of competitiveness that at times is far too negative. I also think that it’s unhelpful and unnecessary during this important time of decision for Southern Baptists.

Webster defines “snarky” as “sarcastic, impertinent, or irreverent in tone or manner.” I thought it was a relatively new word but the dictionary traces its origin to 1906. In the GCR conversation, snarkiness tends to come out as kind of a general disdain for a viewpoint that doesn’t correspond with that of the writer.

It seems to me that snarkiness shows up especially on Twitter where a kind of pack mentality can form among individuals who are in the same choir and want to wittily “me too” or one up a thought in 140 characters or less. There’s a kind of “Ha, ha, aren’t we smarter than those with a different viewpoint?” attitude that comes out.

I think this happens in part because Twitter lulls users into feeling that they are talking only to their own group of followers even though they intellectually understand that they are speaking to the world. Unfortunately, it tends to set fellow Christians up as opponents and creates a sense that GCR is some kind of ideological, political battle rather than a sincere effort to seek the Lord’s will.

Don’t get me wrong. As I have said before, I think it’s a healthy thing for us to be discussing the best ways to allocate limited resources. In doing so, it’s to be expected that there will be a number of different viewpoints and perspectives and that some of them will be competing to a degree. In fact, the Cooperative Program was begun with this very thing in mind in that it was established as a means for Southern Baptists to effectively fund a variety of missions and ministry causes. To me, the idea of variety in and of itself implies that allocations may change as needs and priorities change.

That said, however, I am hoping that we, as Southern Baptists, can have our discussion in a way that is respectful of each other as fellow believers. Just because another brother or sister disagrees with a particular approach doesn’t mean that he or she is not committed to furthering the Gospel. The old song says “they will know we are Christians by our love.” As the world watches how Southern Baptists work through issues and examine new ideas, I’m praying that our love will be the thing that stands out.

– Robert Reeves