You might have heard the news; that two protesters with an organization called “Just Stop Oil” went to Stonehenge, the ancient stone monument in the south of England. They approached the stones with a metal container and started spraying the stones with bright yellow or orange paint.

A tourist, who was visiting the site, tried to stop them. That tourist did not know what kind of chemicals were being sprayed on the stones, and he risked his own safety to stop the vandalism.

If there is any good news in this story, apparently the yellow or orange “paint” was made with starch, and the damage to the stones can be repaired. It is also worth knowing that Britain is in a national election campaign, and also, Stonehenge is visited by thousands of people, every year, at the summer solstice, the longest day of the summer. The protest happened just before the solstice.

This protest event was filmed, and it was reported in the news:

Most people in the world will be emotional, angry, when they learn about the Stonehenge protest. The stone monument is listed as a “World Heritage Site” and it is considered a monument to our ancient ancestors.

This two-man protest was a world event.

Other protests, that we all know about, are the pro-Hamas and anti-Israel protest camps, often on university campuses. I have never visited one of these sights, but I probably could have. They were common and found at many locations, probably including one near you.

This new way to hold a public protest is with us to stay, and we can expect more. I am writing as a Christian, and I have recently seen Christian churches with broken windows and other signs of vandalism. I have also heard about churches that mysteriously burned.

Brace yourself.

There is a lesson for us, in this new wave of protests.

Years ago, I met a respected professor at a university, who was about to retire. She gave me some wise instructions, that you should also hear: In a debate or argument, consider the way the other side speaks, and not just what they say. The “how” can teach you more about them and their argument than the “what.”

That is biblical advice.

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4: 29 to 32)

The “how” is important, not just the “what.”

Those Bible words were written about two thousand years ago, and they are the opposite of how people commonly acted.

Now, with modern protest movements, it seems right and good to be unkind, to communicate angrily and extremely, and never forgive the other side.

Now, the old way is coming back.

Extreme egotism is popular again. If I believe something, and you believe something different, I am somehow correct when I practice unforgiving abuse against you. Ideas are leveraged. My opinion will prevent the end of the world, and yours will lead us to destruction. With that extreme polarization, my behavior is correct, and yours is never acceptable.

Also, notice the extreme leveraging of a few people and their opinions. Two people, who might be ignored, attacked a famous monument, and for some reason, the event was carefully recorded on video. I don’t want to accuse the person holding the camera of being part of the protest. Everyone carries a cell phone, now, and they were sure to get several recordings.

This is not democracy. Somehow, a very small number of people now own the majority opinion.

I don’t want to get off the topic, but I recently heard some parents talking about trans-sexual ideologies that are now being taught to children in schools. They are concerned, and somehow the opinions of a few people have become the majority conviction, that we must all follow.

Those parents were concerned about modern opinion-leveraging on their school board. This seems to be part of the Internet society that we are living in now. A few become the majority. Orthodox truth comes from highly organized minority groups.

There is one other chapter in this story; we need to know who we are. Minority opinions can be leveraged into world news when the majority doesn’t have strong opinions. We will be manipulated, if we are empty of convictions, ourselves.

In that ancient quotation from the Bible, notice the word “be.” Those people were called to be something. If we neglect that assignment, we leave the “truth” to anyone who wants to own it.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1: 9)

“Be …”