What is it that makes us so intolerant of diversity in matters of faith and religion (or politics for that matter)?
The most proximate cause may be a lack of sense of self-worth. When I am truly comfortable with what and who I am, I will not need to beat you up with it. My relating to you will be a conversation rather than a sermon or a polemic. Sometimes those who need constant reassurance that they are acceptable feel the need most to denounce others. People at peace with themselves are less likely to fall into that trap. Perhaps some of the difficulties our nation recently faced are related to this proposition. Can we face this challenge in our communities of faith sufficiently to be a model for our world?
The Church is a group of people defined by their unity in gratitude for the redemption of the whole of creation from the decay of sin and death, not an elaborate set of reasons why I am saved and you are not. We pray for Christian maturity so that we will focus less on ourselves, not more.
If this seems to far fetched, we should ask ourselves this question" What will we be asked when we stand before God? Were you right all the time? Did you qualify for membership in Club Christian? I cannot conceive that this will be the conversation between me and God. Rather, I will be asked simply, "Did you love others as I loved you?"
No comments:
Post a Comment