On study break in the mountains, I was insulated from the controversy surrounding the opening ceremonies in Paris. Now I’m clued in, I see the whole incident as an opportune case study about how we as Christians should respond, both to this act and more that is to come in an increasingly post-Christian world.

The term “post-Christian” is not the same as “non-Christian.” “Non-Christian” would imply a neutral playing field. “Post-Christian” means that a culture has experienced Christianity and shifted away from it. People within that culture assume they already understand Christianity and have moved decidedly beyond it. As theologian Darrell Bock once commented, Christians are now the visiting team—and increasingly, the rival team that gets booed out of the stadium. We can expect post-Christian allusions in cultural expression to continue.

Whole segments of our culture have also felt that Christians, when in vogue and in power, were mean-spirited, pushy, arrogant, and non-inclusive. Many people have been hurt by Christians, and hurt leads to anger. Anger, in turn, leads to many awkward places.

With all that as a backdrop, how should Christians respond to what happened in Paris? Here are a few options that Christians have taken thus far. Each option has its own appeal, for reasons that would be good to hear.

Option #1: Be offended.

A recent ChurchLeaders article by Ed Stetzer was entitled, “Being Offended by Offensive Things Is Good, Actually.” The article included quotes from prominent Christian leaders who publicly communicated their offense at the Olympics performance. Some of them noted that even though the artist claimed the image at the table was not meant to mirror Da Vinci’s Lord’s Supper but a pagan feast connected to the Greek gods, the similarities in staging were hard to miss. A later statement from the Olympics clarified that they did in fact draw inspiration from Da Vinci Lord’s Supper motif.

For some prominent Christians, Christianity and even more specifically Christ was clearly a target of derision. They argue that no other religion would be treated this way and that the whole performance was entirely inappropriate. The Olympic Committee should offer a sincere apology and be far more careful in the future in an event that is meant to spark unity rather than division.

Option #2: Shake it off.

Taylor Swift offers the title for this approach, which acknowledges that there will always be haters and that we should simply “shake it off.” Jesus and other New Testament writers make it very clear that we should not be surprised when we are misunderstood and mistreated as believers. In fact, we should expect it. The world system, often referred to throughout the Bible as “Babylon,” is just acting the way Babylon acts. Why should we expect anything different? So, shake it off. Take the high road and move on. Refuse to treat others the way we were treated, and don’ t make a big issue of it when we are mistreated. Since love is not “easily offended,” as Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 13, we should choose to be unoffended. After all, those most prone to being offended are those who are the most insecure. As Christians we should be the most secure people on the planet, with our identity and hope firmly in Jesus.

Option #3: Turn it around.

Rather than focusing on the potential offense or simply shaking it off, take the opportunity to redeem it—to display love in the face of ridicule or even hate. Jesus told us to be quick to take such an approach in his Sermon on the Mount: to pray for those who mock or hate us, do good to them, and use every slight as an opportunity to display surprising love.

Several blogs have gone viral espousing this perspective. No matter how we may feel when suffering ill-treatment, perhaps this is a golden opportunity to let all people know, especially those who have experienced rejection by Christians, that there is room for everyone at Jesus’ table. What if we apologized to anyone who has been pushed away, and used this as an opportunity to give a surprising response instead? To take a posture of humility and love in the face of ridicule?

Toward A Response

I’m sure we could devise a few more responses, but let’s just stop here. I personally think we can take something valuable from each one of these options above. We can acknowledge the offense, and perhaps we should. But then what do we do? In part, we shake it off and perhaps, more powerfully, turn it around as an opportunity to express surprising love and grace. What do you think?

In John 13, Jesus gave us the brand―radical love. Christians are known for many things today but love is not one of them. In Rebranding Christianity, we talk about this problem and the radically simple, yet bold solution. Receive your free copy of the first chapter here.