Considering the most recent school shooting and the barrage of pro and anti-gun control posts on social media, the following statement was made to me: 鈥淭he further we move from listening, feeling and loving, the more we move towards casting blame, shame and wrongdoing, the less Christian we become.鈥�
Can we have opposing views and still call ourselves Christian?
I asked this question on social media: 鈥淐an you love the person who holds differing political opinions as you love yourself?鈥�
And I received some very insightful comments.
Jesus chose his disciples from a very diverse set of individuals 鈥渇rom collaborators with the Romans to those who advocated armed revolt.鈥�
鈥淭o be a Christian means Christ like, and it didn't matter to Jesus, He loves us all, but not the sins.鈥�
Remember, we are called to do the hard things. Sometimes loving and differing is the hardest. All good thought provoke answers. Another told me that first he had to learn to love himself with all his flaws before he could learn to love others with all their flaws and that struck home to me. I must love my flaws before I can love you with all your flaws.
Do I have the right to judge others for what I perceive as flawed thinking simply because they disagree with my perception of right?
鈥淒o not judge, so that you will not be judged, since you will be judged in the same judgment that you make, and you will be measured by the same standard you apply,鈥� --Matthew 7:1鈥�2.
Jesus follows up His warning against judgment with an explanation: we will all be judged by the same measure that we use. If we cannot hold to the standard we use, we have no business applying that standard to others.
There are two possible responses to this statement: one, operating under the assumption that no one can possibly live up to a high standard, holds to the interpretation mentioned above that no one should ever judge anyone else, since we鈥檙e all sinners. The second possibility is that we should all amend our own behaviour and live properly before exercising judgment and helping others to do the same.
I cannot stand by and blindly accept that which allows such horror as occurred in Florida and has happened far too many times in the US, yet as a Canadian I truly have no say. I can only stand up as a Christian and ask when will this stop, when will we stop glorifying violence and start remembering what Jesus said?
鈥淎 new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another,鈥� --John 13:34.
As one responder said, 鈥渢o stand up for one鈥檚 beliefs does not mean you're less Christian, it means you鈥檙e not agreeing. Once the decision to not agree is made, that doesn't release one's responsibility to treat others respectfully and all the other stuff that goes with it. That is where the line should be. Not in the (dis)agreement but in the action to resolve and move forward.鈥�
Lent is a time for all of us, those who have known Christ for many years and those who have yet to encounter Him, to clarify and reaffirm our intentions. Do we desire to seek God? Will we, with intention, diligence, and discipline, seek Him? Or will we just float along, hoping to stumble upon God here and there?
Will we allow the love God has for each and every one of us to flow through us and direct us onto the path He has chosen for us or will we continue to rebel and fight each other over political questions?
聽鈥淭he further we move from listening, feeling and loving, the more we move towards casting blame, shame and wrongdoing, and the less Christian we become.鈥�
