tolerance

Maturity

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

I’m laying (or is it lying) in bed, typing this as I listen to the rain pounding on the window. There’s something comforting to me about storms when I am safe indoors and not out driving in one.

I’ve been thinking about something quite a bit lately. In theory, we’re the most tolerant society, yet in practice we are anything but. We talk a good game about how we tolerate anything and everything, yet wait until someone disagrees with us or spouts a political view that is opposite to what we hold dear and see just how tolerant (or intolerant) we really are.

It’s about maturity. How do you react when you speak your opinions and someone contradicts or criticizes you? How do you take criticism?

Once again, I do not mean that you meekly abide under verbal or physical abuse. I do not mean that you allow someone to berate or insult you and not defend yourself.

I do mean someone who disagrees with your beliefs or convictions. How tolerant are you then?

I confess I don’t like criticism. I may not always show it, but I tend to be defensive and angry when I get told I’m wrong. A lot of people are that way.

Maturity means you don’t always have to agree 100% with criticism, but you can always find some nugget of wisdom there. You can always use the negative comments to spur change for the better within yourself.

It’s one thing to be steady in your convictions, beliefs, and actions, but it’s quite another to live outside of any accountability in a place where no one can ever correct you for a perceived mistake or unwise choice. You need at least one person whom you give the permission to speak into your life, even if that means they can tell you the truth about when you’re out of line.

Maybe we can get to the place where we can actually have an open dialogue and listen to what those on the other side of the debate are actually saying instead of the all-too-common haranguing, name-calling, and demonizing that characterizes much of what goes on in politics and society.

Maybe we can get to the place where we welcome dissenting voices that will challenge us to examine our own beliefs and convict us to live in such a way that our actions match our words.

God help us all.

The X-Files and Politics (Another Rare Soapbox Blog)

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

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The longer I live, the more I think that The X-Files got it right. I do believe that there is a shadow government that’s really running the show while the used-car salesman/carnival barkers/limelight politicians are a diversionary tactic to keep the public from paying attention to the REAL deals going down.

Sometimes, it seems like a vastly elaborate magic trick, where the misdirection involves Republicans yelling at Democrats (or visa versa) while the other hand sneaks the hidden eight of clubs from inside the shirt sleeve. I wonder if those same politicians meet up at a bar and laugh into their beers about how most of their audiences really bought their schmaltz.

I guess that makes me a conspiratorist. Or a conspiracy-buff. Whatever.

I do think it’s interesting how the majority of people who profess their tolerance loudest of all are the quickest to vilify, libel, and slander anyone who offers a differing viewpoint or worldview, i.e. anyone who disagrees with me is automatically a racist, an elitist, a traitor, a homophobe, a misogynist, a hate-monger, and an inbred redneck (or a drugged-out hippie). It’s interesting to me that for most, if someone has a different political philosophy, then that person must be either an imbecile or evil incarnate, or some combination of the two.

I wonder sometimes if we actually stopped haranguing and started actually dialoguing (with actual listening involved), we might find that we’re not so far apart after all. Maybe we’d find the other side actually makes sense.

I personally have chosen not to pledge my ultimate allegiance to a President and a country, but to a King and a Kingdom (with thanks to Derek Webb for the imagery). I know that 1,000 years from now, after so many campaigns and elections, no one will remember who was the 49th President, but Jesus will still be king.

That’s where my hope lies.

awake

My Occasional Soapbox Post Strikes Again

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

I have to admit something. I’m a little concerned about evangelical Christianity in America.

I hope I’m wrong about this, but it seems we’ve sold out. In order to get along with everybody and to be at peace, we have compromised our convictions and doctrines in order not to be offensive. We’ve come to the point where we believe that all lifestyles and beliefs are valid and true and where no one can ever say that anything anybody else says or does is wrong. At least not if we don’t want to be labeled as “judgmental” or “bigots” or “hate-mongers.”

From what I know about Christianity, the gospel itself is offensive. It’s scandalous. If we’re faithful to proclaim it and to strive to be conformed to the likeness of Christ, we will be rejected. And ridiculed. And persecuted. How do I know that? Because He Himself promised it would happen.

The Bible says that we apart from God love darkness and hate the light. We hate the truth and anything or anyone associated with it. It takes more than just convincing of our logic. It takes the love of God invading our hearts for us to be transformed.

I think part of the problem is that we interpret what the Bible says through the lenses of emotion or sexuality or politics. It should be the other way around. The truth is not politically correct and it isn’t always the popular opinion. In fact, many times, the truth will be in the minority.

I do believe in the Bible the same way orthodox believers have believed in it for centuries. My faith is the faith of the apostles and saints through the ages. That is Christianity. Anything else is not. You are free to believe and practice your belief however you choose, but if your faith has stepped outside of the boundaries of orthodox faith, you are believing in something other than the Christ of Christianity. I don’t say any of this out of pride or arrogance. In fact, I’m a fairly lousy Christian at times, saying one thing and living another. Or in my case, not really saying anything at all.

I still believe that Christians are called to love those who think and act differently, regardless of whether they ever change. Jesus loved those who opposed Him most vehemently, yet still proclaimed the truth boldly, calling a spade a spade. Jesus died for the ones who murdered Him.

Love is still the way to go, but not love that has no standards. That’s not love. That’s just permissiveness. God’s love says in effect, “I love you just the way you are right now, but I refuse to leave you that way. My love will make you everything I created you to be.”

As always, I’m just a ragamuffin out there telling other ragamuffins where to find the Bread of Life.