In the age of cancel culture, how can we cancel all the noise?

on Aug 12, 2025

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: The world seems so noisy these days. I miss sitting on the front porch with my grandparents listening to the breeze, the crickets and the occasional hoot of the owl. A grandmother myself now, I’m concerned about all the distractions my grandchildren are exposed to, what their eyes see and ears hear – even in church! In the age of cancel culture, how can we cancel all the noise? – N.C.

A: Airplanes can be noisy places. The air going through the big jet engines and the air rushing over and around the body of the plane creates uproar. The movable parts of the plane, like the wing flaps and landing gear, add to the clamor. Passengers can wear noise-canceling headphones or earbuds to block the noise.

The world makes a lot of noise – and much of it is welcomed: music videos, TV shows, movies, social media. In our homes, cars, and offices, all kinds of noises come from every device imaginable: watches, phones, computers, etc. The world calls out for us to put all kinds of noise ahead of God in our lives.

But for Christians, the Bible is like noise-cancelling earbuds. God’s Word cancels out the noise of the world and lets us hear what God says: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2, NKJV). When we spend time with the Bible every day, it will begin to saturate the mind and soul, and it won’t be so easy to let the world shape our thoughts, words, and actions.

For the Christian, Jesus must be the Lord of our minds, of what we think, read, and believe; what we dream about, meditate on, and entertain ourselves with. We can never be overexposed to God’s truth.

========

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)