There is a tendency to shy away from, or at least not engage in, publicly defending distinctive Christian beliefs and doctrines among Christians who could, if they made an effort, give a pretty decent defense. This is, perhaps, a mistake. Not that fears about doing so are entirely unfounded. Not at all, even when it comes to less controversial matters. But silence can be costly as well.

Consider first that the person who offers no arguments looks a lot like, and can easily be portrayed as, the person who has no arguments. Consider also that where only one plausible story is told, only one plausible story is heard, even in the land of a thousand stories. Moreover, just because the best spokespeople of a movement choose to remain silent does not mean that no-one will speak for it, and what they say may very well reflect badily on all the rest. Lastly, the benefits of silence are often bought with the blood of confession. Ordinarily, it is precisely the breaking of the silence, the starting to speak, which marks the beginning of one’s confession.

Some might object that it isn’t wise to set up a wall that someone can easily and triumphantly knock over. ‘Isn’t it better’, they might say, ‘to build no wall and wait for a better builder, someone who can build a wall so strong that no man can scale it or destory it?’ Yes, I too, hope for such a wall, a wall, perhaps, not made by human hands. But as we wait on its builder, we should perhaps not sit around and do nothing, but build our fragile walls, so that behind every wall that falls, there is another to greet the triumphant victor.