If we are really honest, we know that we find ourselves living in a very deeply divided time in the West. The divisions between us in our lands, and even in our families, are incredibly real. I believe we are currently navigating between two destructive extremes: the grievance and victimhood of identity politics on one hand, and what I call “cruelty culture” on the other.
But what exactly is cruelty culture, and is there any hope for us in this divided age?
Cruelty culture is driven by a “strong man ideal” of domination and superiority. To understand where this comes from, we have to look at the underlying worldview. If this material world of biology, physics, and chemistry is all there is, we are left with a worldview built on the brutal outcome of the survival of the fittest.
When we accept a materialist outlook where there is no God, human beings are viewed merely as the product of chance, striving only for our own survival. Historically, atheist thinkers have taken this to its logical conclusion, arguing that an honest person lives only for themselves, and that a “noble soul” naturally subjects and sacrifices others for its own gain. If we embrace a worldview that tells us the strong eliminate the weak, then dominating others simply becomes the accepted norm.
In our current cultural moment, this leads to a cold cruelty that is resonant of the authoritarian regimes of the past. In this kind of culture, forgiveness begins to be seen as a moral weakness. Actual justice and peace continue to elude us because accountability is demanded, but redemption feels impossible.
Whether a culture is driven by the victimhood of identity politics or the domination of cruelty culture, the result is the same: these forces are deeply dividing our age.
I want to suggest to you that there is profound hope for our divided age, and it is found in the historic personality of Jesus Christ.
The Christian story stands in absolute defiance of cruelty culture. At the centre of the Christian faith is not domination, coercion, or the pursuit of power at the expense of others. Instead, the centre of the Christian story is self-giving love. God is not a distant force who accepts the survival of the fittest; He is a loving Creator who declares that every single human being is made in His image, making us infinitely precious.
Christian forgiveness uniquely challenges both the grievance culture of identity politics and the domination of cruelty culture. It reminds us that our suffering matters profoundly, but it also gives us the power to release our perpetrators from our vengeance.
Only in Christ and His cross is there true hope for those who seek justice and for those who seek mercy. By embracing His self-giving love, we can step away from the cruelty of our age and begin to rebuild our broken world.
If you are looking to take these truths from your head to your heart—especially as we navigate the heavy realities of pain, trauma, and trying to live faithfully in a broken world—I want to invite you to explore my book, Forgiveness. Together, we look closely at one of the most challenging yet profoundly restorative commands of Jesus, discovering how it is possible to find healing and hope even when it feels impossible.
