Tolerance and Embracing

Hey, Y'all,

Welcome aboard to a few new readers who are joining us. Hope you're all enjoying the long weekend and honoring the memory of those who've sacrificed to make this a free and prosperous land. Today's thought comes from Bud Racine (thanks!) and really gets to the heart of what it means to be a Believer:

"The problem to be faced is: how to combine loyalty to one's own tradition with reverence for different traditions."
-Abraham J Heschel

Hmmm...reminds me of Paul's description in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 of who we ought to be as followers and imitators--disciples--of Christ (Christians). I've highlighted the punch line:

"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, [I became] as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, [I became] as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you."

Here it is in another version (The Message)--pretty cool:

"Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!"

Another version talked about "finding common ground" with Seekers in order to be helpful to them on their journey (as others have taken the time to be with us)--that was what made Christ's ministering so effective, and that is an aspect of His ministry we must emulate if we are to be of any use as His instruments--humble servants BTW, not finger-wagging authoritarians--here on this (post-modern) planet.

Any other passages come to mind that back up this assertion?

You've been prayed for today...