Slipping into silliness?

The chaplain is a wonderful lady, filled with graciousness, but when she offered her prayer in the name of the “mystery in you and the mystery in me,” I just had to smile. In another public prayer, she gonged her way along attempting, I suppose, to find common ground with Buddhists. A well-known pastor made the claim this week that Mormons are a ‘little different’ but since they believed in Jesus they must be Christians. Both of these people are good at heart and are trying to reach out. But, they are slipping into silliness and making spirituality a joke by choosing to ignore real and major differences . I believe they are misguided and that their attempts at inclusion actually devalues relationships and dialogue.

While I respect a Mormon’s right to his belief system, I also understand that the God of his theology is not the God the Scripture, nor is the Jesus he follows the Jesus of orthodox, Scriptural Christianity. That is not an attack. By recognizing the difference, I affirm their idea of what is true without compromising my own convictions! I would strenuously engage in dialogue with any Mormon who cared to talk it over with me and then shake his hand in peace.

When I pray, I value my relationship to Jesus Christ as a Christian pastor. It’s not disrespectful to pray in His Name. Any who happens to disagree with me can just ignore my prayer or just not say “amen,” with me. I cool with that, but I will not water down my own faith in the matchless, wonderful Name, nor honestly, would I expect a person of differing, deeply held convictions, to do that for me. Somehow, we have come to a place where it’s expected that we hold ever so lightly to our convictions about what’s true, what’s false, what’s right, what’s wrong that we cannot talk about anything honestly. Honest speech is not the same as hate speech. If it is, then Jesus was a hateful man! He told the truth regularly.

He did warn us that holding onto the Truth would earn us the ire of those who dislike it. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me." (John 15:18-22, NIV)

Disciple, do not be deceived by the philosophy that says, “Your truth and my truth are actually the same at the root.” Not all roads lead to the same destination, not all ideas claimed to be ‘true’ produce the same result. Be discerning. Jesus teaches us to be “as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16) because we live like sheep in the middle of wolves. There is no need to argue with everyone with whom we disagree, nor do we need to be on the attack. Truth speaks for itself when we are Spirit-filled, loving people. But, when we are asked about what we believe, we need to be courageous about our convictions.  

Then, too, know that not all convictions rise to the same level. The Moravian motto is "In essentials, unity.  In non-essentials, liberty.  And in all things, love."  Arguing about things that have divided Christians into factions: methods of baptism, the time of Christ's return, the way we receive Holy Communion, and practices in worship; diminish Christ and His Church! The non-essential things do not determine whether we are a Christian.  Faith in Christ and the reception of the Spirit is what moves us from death to life.   The major issues require a rock-solid conviction: Christ: His life, suffering, death and resurrection.

Let’s avoid the silliness of modern tolerance and the argumentative spirit of dogma. The word from the Word makes a real demand of us: "Live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:1-3, NIV)