"Like the world around us, the Christian church is divided on many of the same issues. Just to name a few: abortion, euthanasia, sexual orientation, race, constitutional issues such as school prayer. I do not think there will be easy or immediate answers to these questions for the church or for society.But I do believe that in the midst of such difficult times there is a contribution that we can make. Love, or having Godly respect for one another, does not suggest that we ignore our differences; respecting one another includes acknowledging sincerely held differences. Love means committing ourself to the messy, frustrating and exhausting work of resolution but doing so without destroying one another and community. ....
Our convictions are important, especially convictions of faith. A community which lacks convictions, even differing convictions, lacks integrity. But on the other hand, conviction without respect for community is simply blind passion and easily becomes abusive and destructive. The answers to deeply complex matters are never in political resolve but in the hard, prayerful work of consensus building among faithful people. In a community the goal is never political victory but the preservation of Christian mission and witness.
But what a crucial witness we can be to the world to testify that there is a more excellent way to deal with the issues which divide us. Yes, this work is hard and we will make some mistakes and we will have some failures in the process. But I believe that God is more pleased by the witness we make in struggling to love and respect one another than the battles we wage to gain political victories.
There is a more excellent way and Christians are called to live it. For the example of how we deal with our differences can be a vital contribution to a polarized society."
No comments:
Post a Comment