Nuanced Generalizations Against Nuance

Well, this website does have Mirkwood in its title. At the very least, I guess that assumes the reality that things can be mirky out there. Confusion about almost everything is more rampant and dangerous in our culture than, I don’t know. I can’t think of a good analogy of something currently in our culture that is rampant and dangerous. Well, either way, confusion is no good. What makes it worse is when one is searching for clarity and instead gets more convolution. Like when you’re driving on the freeway under a blinding downpour with your wipers barely keeping up, and a semi-truck pulls ahead of you, spouting gallons of uncontrolled mist onto your windshield.

The world is a complicated mess – a mess that needs to be navigated through. Sometimes we might be able to sort a small area somewhere, and then expand our good work out. Other times, the best course would be to avoid getting it on us as we step over the muck. And still more, there are times when the zoo-monkeys start flinging the poo at you. Simple navigation might not be as feasible. The mess is messy, and decisions can be decisive. In a time such as this, what isn’t as helpful, though, is making things more confusing. That seems obvious, but then again, so does the recovery rate of Covid-19.

In a confused and arrogant environment, when both the pressure is intense and the stupidity is real, the temptation for us Christians is to call on that ever-so-safe deliverer, the one that reliably gets us out of tight corners while keeping the witness doors open – nuance. We all know the formula: start with qualifications, intermix it with winsomeness, and deliver the message with the abundance of caution necessary to not offend a toddler. For the sake of caution, we put clear communication on the altar and torch it.

Some Christians reverse to nuance simply because they’re cowards, if I can say so without any nuance. They see the raging crowds – the pitchforks look sharp, the stake – sturdy, and the fire – as hot as ever. Their conscience whispers the truth, but the mob’s yelling drains it out. So they fold. To upkeep their own perception of their commitment to Heaven, they don’t explicitly break the door down in their escape from Truth. They start by carefully dismantling the hinges. “Did God really say?” Said the Ancient Serpent. Today’s slimy creature goes by the name Nuanced Empathy. Christ reaches out to the marginalized, and so must we. Maybe I don’t understand what marginalized means (Deconstructionists might claim) but it’s interesting that the so-called marginalized in our society are the ones speaking into the microphones and deciding who to mute. But hey, don’t let me start asking questions.

Mobs are indeed intimidating. Mortgages and endless bills are also not emboldening. Clarity, in a time like we’re in, has gone up in price like all other cost-of-living essentials. More courage is needed to pay the bill. Instead of coughing up the dough, many Christians counterfeit their way through with ambiguity and caution. It’s only a matter of time until the debt-collectors come knocking.

I will admit, nuance is not always cowardliness. There are situations where nuance is associated with wisdom. Anytime you’re talking to more than one person at a time, it’s safe to assume that there is probably more than one experience helping formulate your listeners’ opinions on the matter. Bias is something worth considering, and the man voicing an opinion without thinking through his own or his audience’s preconceived notions is bound to trip up. Leaning in one direction too strongly for too long can be foolish at best, or in fact, pride-motivated scoffing at worst. Scripture does have something to say about that. Folly and pride can disenfranchise a man, and rightfully so. Christians should take no part in it. This is where the Public Relations Department might have a little patch of solid ground to work on (a very little patch).

Oscar Wilde is credited with saying, “A gentleman is one who never insults another unintentionally.” Far from being a gentleman, I’ve had to learn the hard way to appreciate the wit and wisdom it takes not just to know when to hold your tongue and when to speak, but how to speak, what to say, and what to leave unsaid. I haven’t operated a business for that long, but long enough to appreciate the importance of not cornering myself, unintentionally that is. So yes, there’s a place for nuance. Not everybody will hear what you’re saying the same way. Some might be served well with a spoonful of qualifications to help the medicine go down. But if the medicine is being spit out no matter how much sensitivity we dissolve into it, there comes a point when nuance, instead of helping becomes harmful. If, after proving that an unending track of nuanced qualifications aren’t doing anybody any good, we continue down that ambiguous path, all we’re showing is that we might be more concerned with our image than delivering the right message. PR departments may be good servants, but they’re wicked masters.

There’s a certain form of nuanced communication that isn’t spineless, nor is it concerned with esteem. Its concern is not for personal protection or reputation, and therefore it seems to be good, all qualifications ordered of course. Some people don’t care much about their own well-being, but they are zealously devoted to the accuracy and balance of a matter. All of their dogmatic lines have to be connected, all T’s crossed, and I’s dotted. There’s nothing like inaccuracy and unbalance to keep them turning in their beds. If one side of the argumentative aisle is too packed, they’ll qualify their way to the other. If the majority leans too heavily one way, they’ll nuance toward the other. Nothing can be worse than all sides not given their equal time of day.

Who can speak out against accuracy and balance? Assuming it’s not self-seeking, accuracy and balance are in fact good things. The problem becomes evident when we put this religious commitment itself on the scales and weigh it against its context. There are times when balancing an issue is necessary and critical. There are also times, however, when an unyielding devotion to balanced accuracy, although may be motivated by a desire for clarity, can actually lead to more confusion. At a time when action is necessary, nuance can be deadly. Sometimes we can weigh all viewpoints and participate in some verbal jousting as we sit around a fire, interlocking our cigar smoke-circles. Or when a leader is guarding against opposing ditches, he may push back against the two extremes. But when the battle is raging, the stakes are real, and the soldiers have to either pursue or retreat, leaning in one direction might actually be the more balanced and contextually accurate position.

Different contexts call for different tactics. There is a time for discussion, and there is a time for defense – a time to build up, and a time to break down. I’m not sure there is ever a good time to be a coward. Caution in our communication, on the other hand, can be good. And a weighted balance with accurate presentations is also helpful. But when our side is in the heat of battle, nuanced criticism, although maybe accurate, discourages friends, confuses onlookers, and aids the enemy. I believe the call of the hour in our cultural engagement efforts today is not more nuance and caution, confusing the armies of God. Rather, clarity in our leanings and boldness in our speech is more of what is needed.

For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

– 1 Corinthians 14:8, KJV