Swinging Doors

There is an old saying- "the door swings both ways". The problem of the church and I mean any church local or denominational or larger church on earth is that sometimes our doors are open and sometimes our doors are shut and locked.

If Christ-followers shut down and close up how does anyone hear much less -see- in our attitude and example of life the very Good News Jesus commands us to verbally share with others? Further, the slamming-door attitude often leads to those who happen to show up themselves leaving. The door indeed swings both ways. God always reaches out. Do we?

Let me say from the start I respect people even when I disagree with their understanding or interpretation of God's Word the Bible. Yet that's a major point in coming together or splitting apart, opening the door or bolting it shut.

As I'm often mentioning whether you don't believe God exists or even for those who attend a regular Christian gathering, we don't fully agree with one another and do not always see nor recognize the same things as Jesus likely meant them in scripture.

We don't even completely agree what love is, how it ought to be shared with another or with a group of people. Thus we see in the church exactly what we see in families, gatherings of friends, in the world of politics, ways of governing, in a band, a sports team or you-name-it. Are you with me so far?

As I recently wrote in my blog posts here the deeper issue as I see it is "What is GOD'S intent"? How does He define things, not how would I like Him to, what is it I want Him to agree with -me- about or my neighbor or the church I attend or "that church down the street" or even among my family or close friends. Alas and Lord help us, I'm rather sure plenty of us don't do the homework in prayer, honest study, checking in with consistent (though also imperfect) and godly people who've walked with the Lord, are steeped in the Bible or at least sense and wisdom. But there are few who are seeking God's view on various matters, love, political positions and even whether someone should pull the trigger and take another's life. I see this as simple and historical fact.

Travel in the wide world and ask a massive amount of questions, study history before the political or dictatorial scene of our times threatened truly free speech, ask the hard questions and don't merely blow off someone's view of history as false news, mere personal bias and propaganda. If it's verifiable -whether you or I like it or not- (please read that again) you then have the chance to learn, grow, even change your views on X, Y or Z.

By now most people understand what is meant by "confirmation bias" and when we only regurgitate the same-old/same-old because we prefer it we are (know it or not) in the way of mental, spiritual and emotional cement. I mean cementing our ability to actually gain wisdom as to what truly happened, why people's motives and for that matter, the love Jesus both lived and commanded are often -within US- messed up, false.

Did you know "God commands all people everywhere to repent" has (in New Testament Greek) a deep sense of "re-think"? It indeed does.

I'll post a blog on that very matter soon.

As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn