The Wisdom of Taylor Swift
Read Mark 6:7-13
“If any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” –Mark 6:11
Haters gonna hate. Perhaps you’ve heard that phrase before. In some ways, it is self-explanatory. A “hater” is someone who dislikes you. Whether or not they have a good reason, they will never be your fan. They will consistently criticize whatever you say or do, regardless of content or context. You’ll never please them, and they’ll never rejoice in your success. A hater’s desire is to pull you down in any way they can.
Jesus had his haters. The scribes and Pharisees, the chief priests and Herodians—they were all aligned in their opposition to him. (Interestingly enough, these groups were drastically different from each other; in some cases, their political desires were directly opposed to each other. Which simply shows that hate also has a unifying power.)
Jesus’ mission, though, was too important to allow his haters to distract him. He was focused on the people who came to him for help and healing. He was focused on the message God has given him to share. If Jesus had invested time and energy in winning over those who were never going to like or trust him, his ministry would have been stunted.
As Jesus prepared his disciples to go into the world, he warned them of the reality that they would encounter haters as well. Not everyone would receive the news of God’s kingdom with joy. Some would actively resist and undermine their ministry. Jesus’ directions to them were simple. As Taylor Swift would sing some two thousand years later, Jesus told them: just shake it off!
Specifically, Jesus told them to “shake the dust from their sandals.” This act could be interpreted in two ways: both as a sign of judgment and as a symbolic washing of hands. (I’ve done all I can do; now I leave them in God’s hands.) On a practical level, we can remember that people walked everywhere they went. Their clothes and especially their sandals would be covered in dirt. So Jesus was telling them not to carry the “dust of rejection” into their next encounter—they had to shake it off so that they could be open to the next person they met.
The truth is, even though we know that “haters are gonna hate,” it doesn’t stop their words from bothering us. We can carry their criticism in our hearts. Without meaning to, we subconsciously seek their approval. The more energy we give to winning over those who oppose us, the less time we spend on our core mission. Our purpose gets diverted into pleasing others versus serving them.
So if you need a little inspiration today, listen to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” Did you know that the song was not well-received by critics? It was widely panned—various critics called it “vapid,” “immature,” or “defensive.” You may even agree with those critiques of the song. What can’t be denied, though, is that the song was incredibly popular. It reached number one status in multiple countries and spent more than 50 weeks on the Billboard charts. It currently has three billion views on YouTube. Swift, meanwhile, has gone on to be the defining artist of her generation.
Haters gonna hate, hate, hate. But sometimes, we just have to “shake it off” and move on to follow the path God has for us.
Save me, O Lord, from seeking my redemption from the approval of others. Save me particularly from the need to please my greatest critics. Help me to rest in Your acceptance and to walk in Your love. May I be a faithful witness to the truth You have given me to share. Amen.