A Quick Thought About Our Differences

You and I might very well come from different types of cultural backgrounds. Your skin color may be different than mine and we might be different genders. We might disagree on sports, art, politics, morality, religion, and just about everything else. We might each live our lives in a totally different fashion, with completely different understandings of what’s right and wrong, even true and false.

I want you to know something about me though. Even though I passionately hold to those things which I believe to be true, I am 100% committed to this fact: No matter who you are or how you live your life, you are created in the image of God, fearfully and wonderfully made, and worthy of my respect as such. Please forgive me when I fail to live up to this ideal, and know that those who do not espouse such belief, do not act in the name of Christ, no matter what they may claim.

I'd love to really get to know you, and have you know me. Where we differ, let's at least try to better understand one another. We don't need to agree in the end, but perhaps we can avoid the almost reflexive vilifying of each other that is all too common in our culture. And where we do happen to find common ground, let's commit to working together for what we agree is the common good. 

No doubt, we will continue to disagree on any number of issues, ideas and areas of belief.  But if such a mindset and practice as I've outlined here were to become commonplace, the world--though still far from perfect--would certainly be more pleasant. That would be nice. And I think that's something about which we can all agree.

Can We Have Both Convictions and Compassion?

The other day I saw the following cartoon:

I had two different, conflicting reactions. The first was to wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment it espoused as it is essentially something that I have long maintained. I can disagree with some aspect of your life (be it found your in your beliefs, words, thoughts or actions) and not be anti-you. All the people I love most at times say, think and do things with which I disagree. Heck, I sometimes even do things with which I disagree!

My second reaction though was to ask the following question: Why is it that so often when we say, "I disagree" some people hear "I hate you" instead? Some would contend that it is because none of us likes to be told we are wrong (especially when it comes to overarching things like lifestyles), and if we can recast valid moral criticism as hateful rhetoric, it frees us from feeling guilty. This likely is part of the problem for all of us in facing criticism, but I fear that often when social liberals write off conservative critiques as self-righteous, hateful and judgmental, it is in large part precisely because conservative critiques (regardless of their level of validity) are often self-righteous, hateful and judgmental.

On both sides of the equation, compassion and conviction are often set against each other. As Christians, we must do all we can to work against this. While we must stand firm in our biblical convictions, if we are to call ourselves followers of Christ we must stand firm in a Christ-like manner, more concerned about GOD'S glory than about either OUR rights or our BEING right.

In a blog post today, David Crabb makes the following helpful observations:

Christians follow a Savior who looked out upon a sinful, hard-hearted multitude and had compassion on them, because he saw them for what they were–sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). This is hard for us. Holding compassion and conviction together in healthy tension is not something that comes naturally. We tend to either be compassionate and sinfully permissive, or conscientiously upholding Biblical standards of holiness but self-righteous.

And yet the same Jesus who threw the money-changers out of the temple, wept over the city of Jerusalem. In both our public discourse and in our personal relationships, may we have more of the spirit of Jesus.

Compassion and conviction is not an either-or scenario.

After all, if I am a Christian, my Savior commands me, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," (Matthew 5:44). And in humility, I must always remember, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost" (1 Timothy 1:15).

How We Disagree With One Another

Kevin DeYoung somewhat reluctantly entered the fray of the recent Elephant Room/T.D. Jakes controversy with a blog post today. He has many good reflections and admonitions throughout the post, but I especially appreciated his closing thoughts:

We need a more careful theology of criticism. There are several observations all Christians should be able to agree on, even if they sometimes pull us in opposite directions. (1) Let’s not assume the worst about people. (2) Let’s not shame those who aren’t immediately credulous when someone with a history of bad thinking says something that could be construed as maybe okay. (3) Let’s be very cautious in assigning motive. (4) Let’s not take everything personally or make everything personal. (5) Let’s not get our kicks from criticizing others and mucking around in controversy. (6) Let’s avoid facile condemnations of all criticism, realizing that the statement itself is a criticism and the Bible is full of heroes who had a lot of bones to pick. (7) Let’s accept that in this fallen world only the Lord can fully sort some things out and we don’t have go twelve rounds in every conflict.

So praise Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—one God in three persons—for loving me despite so many mistakes, for loving the glory of his name above all things, and for loving the church even more than we do. Let’s pray he brings good out of these hard times.