Romans 12:2 The one who eats everything must not despise the one who does not, and the one who abstains from certain things must not judge the one who eats everything, for God accepts them both.
In many areas of life, we are being trained to divide and be divided based on opinions. (Anti)Social media has become a tool to attack those having a differing opinion. If a person submits to our groups’ opinion, then we can accept them. If they refuse, they are rejected. Some who claim to champion diversity are waging a war against anyone with a “wrong” opinion. Crushing or rejecting others with differing views is an infection that many deem virtuous; it is, however, the antithesis of Christ. In as much as Christians have stumbled into this arrogant mindset, we must repent.
In the early Church the clash of cultures was massive. Jews and Gentiles, having been religiously divided, came together in Christ. Food customs, holy days, circumcision… everything was a hot topic. Paul spent much of his writing opposing division based on cultures and opinions. Already in the sermon on the mount, Jesus instructed His followers to rise above the norms of the world to become children of God. If we accept those with whom we are in agreement and reject others, what good is that? As Christians we are taught that there is diversity in the Body of Christ under one Head, but all led by one Spirit. It isn’t the agreement of opinions that unites us, rather it is Christ.
Navigating the waters of our divided-connected world is challenging. Unimportant issues are magnified while significant, moral issues are deemed unimportant. From the world we learn to divide due to differences and how to crush our opponents. In Christ we are taught unity beyond differences and confrontation in love. Unfortunately, we easily follow the ways of the world. We must therefore diligently practice the ways of Christ. “Put on the new self” is a daily requirement. We must awaken from the delusion that we are transformed by a confession of faith or a weekly trip to church. Renew your mind! Practice righteousness! His ways are higher than ours, but through Him we are given the grace to practice righteousness and rise above our natural, divisive inclinations.
“Jesus, in this time of division and hate, give us wisdom, compassion, and clarity. We are weak. Lead us by Your Spirit. Give us strength to practice Your higher ways.”