Who Gets to Dictate to Whom?

Isn't this the guts of the arguments, fights and in-fighting among marriages, families, local, regional and national politics and world events regarding protocol and legal matters? Disagreements happen as normally as the wind blows in our fallen world.

It happens very much the same within local and linked churches regardless of government, form or desire. In the end of each issue it's about who gets their way ("wins"?) and who does not.

So really thinking about this we must admit there are small or larger groups of individuals who somewhat, mostly or near-fully agree with each other on whatever the matter is. The same is often true of the opposing faction. Thus we have the fuss, people satisfied or not, at times great acrimony, cliques, splits and in some cases separations that never come together or speak with one another again therefore burying the relationship that once was.

Well, it's true that people move on, change their minds about this or that, decide that an issue is THE hill to plant their particular flag and die on. Some fully reject others.

I think there is a better way. I'm not saying God doesn't care, is fully silent in His Word about an issue though at times He apparently is, but then we go to principles we believe speak to what we think is His position on the thing, and sometimes those principles offer a fairly thin argument, let's face that.

Others move far beyond scripture to either ancient or quite old norms while others establish a new "tradition" with which they feel just and comforting and on and on this dilemma continues with little or no reconciliation.

From people agreeing or disagreeing, fully loving or flat-out hating my music, local or larger church affiliation, this or that blog post, interview, style of dress or anything else you'd care to name I never, ever expected everyone -including very close friends mind you... to quietly accept as wonderful all of these in my own life! I mean, in my view it's simply foolish thinking to expect anyone other than God to be consistent in loving you and me -and HE doesn't always agree with our choices, thinking and actions -may we humbly face that as fact.

What He does call each of us to do is to love one another, forgive one another, to have honest discussions and to -try- to reconcile but the idea that sinful, imperfect people with various knowledge, wisdom and indeed theological gaps in our thinking will ALWAYS seek and stand together on agreed-upon, solid ground isn't what either the Bible or human, church history teaches us!

Lastly, even a thorough understanding of an opposing view with grace and compassion doesn't equal agreement to the extent another seeks it. Think long and hard about the reality of this... and you begin to journey with greater peace even if relationships fray this side of heaven.

If all answers were "easy" and "obvious" for every issue... but they often are not. Hopefully I've offered some sanity to those hurt and confused as to why and why not- even among professing followers of Jesus.

And as always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn