Lent is a season of reflection — a time to walk in love and to meditate on how we as Christians can learn new ways to “Love Bigger.” To observe the 40 days of Lent, Springs Rescue Mission is sharing devotionals from local faith and community leaders. The theme of this series is the same as that of our organization: “Love Bigger.” These two words are meant to be a reminder of the endless love of God in our lives, as well as a charge to us as Christians to meditate on how we might reflect that love on our fellow man.

We’re all familiar with the word “cancel.”

Until recently, it was used in relation to stopping or disconnecting a subscription or a service. Today, we use it to describe people who we no longer want to associate with. If someone does or says something we don’t like or agree with, we simply cancel them from our lives. We disassociate. We let go. In many ways, we say that the person no longer offers value to us and our lives.If we’re honest, most of us like the idea of canceling people. In a social media culture, we can’t keep up with all the friends we have in our feed, so how do you pare them down? Easy, cancel them. What about that marriage that’s getting tough? Just cancel it. Then there’s the person that said something stupid and uneducated. Cancel them too.At Springs Rescue Mission, I see hundreds of men and women who have been canceled from the lives of others. They didn’t fit in. They couldn’t keep up. Therefore, some gave up. They removed themselves or were brushed aside by their friends, families and neighbors.I’m sure some of us have felt canceled too. Maybe you were left without a chance to share your side of the story. Maybe you made a mistake. Maybe you really wanted someone to show you a better way. Here are some questions I have about our current “cancel culture”:

• Can you cancel people and love them at the same time?
• If you cancel someone, do you lose your influence on them?
• Do you have a conversation and seek understanding before canceling someone?

“To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” – 1 Corinthians 9:22

The apostle Paul also wrestled with these questions. In his culture, there were religious leaders who believed they were informed, educated and superior. Paul was once one of them. But then things changed. After experiencing Christ, he was different. He became so passionate about Christ’s death, burial, resurrection and what it meant to him personally that he wanted the entire world to know about it.Did Paul cancel his old friends? No. He engaged with them. He sought to speak their language and related with them — sharing in ways they would understand. He strived to make a difference, not just a point. And in making a difference, Paul made a point like no other. Today, his influence is felt throughout the world.To be clear, there may be reasons to cancel people from our lives. But we should ask ourselves: Should we engage instead of cancel? The good news of Jesus is powerful.It transforms the hearts of men and women everywhere. And if we believe it, there must be another way to engage with people. Perhaps the best way we can Love Bigger is to be firm in our faith while loving others we’re tempted to cancel.Travis Williams has been Springs Rescue Mission's chief development officer since he joined the organization in 2016.Subscribe to our blog to learn more about Springs Rescue Mission and the people we serve — people who have seen tough times but are committed to breaking the cycles of homelessness, hunger and addiction in their lives. We see stories of hope and transformation lived out every day, and we’d love to share them with you.