It is possible not to express an opinion on every headline, to pretend to know more than you do, or to get into fights with strangers because everyone else is doing it. It’s okay to defer judgment, to learn more before opining, and to say, “I don’t know.”  

Conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat once described certain events as “scissor” stories, with headlines, statements, ideas, or scenarios “perfectly calibrated to tear people apart.” Regardless of details, those on the left feel obligated to react to these events one way, while those on the right feel obligated to react the opposite. But above all, everyone feels they must react, which means they feel obligated to comment on social media.

The recent visit by Ukrainian President Zelensky to the Oval Office certainly fits the bill. The meeting was incredibly significant given the geopolitical stakes but, like most issues of war, international relations, and geopolitics, it was also complicated. That did not stop legions of social media users across the political spectrum, with various degrees of understanding, training, and education from immediately posting their “hot takes.”

Noticing fellow clergy jumping into the online fray, theologian and pastor Kevin DeYoung offered words of caution:

Political punditry is a legitimate calling. It’s just not the pastor’s calling. The man who comments constantly on the things “everyone is talking about” is almost assuredly not talking about the things the Bible is most interested in talking about.

Pastors, DeYoung insisted, are not pundits. Their primary work is to preach the Word of God, lead the church in worship and sacrament, and minister to the needs of their flocks. Shepherding today certainly requires ministers to preach and teach on many issues deemed political, such as abortion, the definition of marriage, the reality of male and female, civic duty, and other cultural implications of Christian doctrine. If anything, more clarity and courage is needed from the pulpit on these topics.

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