Scripture: John 15:16-17 (the Message)
You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you. But remember the root command: Love one another.
Thought for the Day: I was reading an article in which the author used the phrase, “The American Dream.” I rarely read the comments at the end of an online article, but in this case, I read the first one without thinking – and then the second, third, fourth… twenty-seventh… I was fascinated by the arguments that erupted among these online readers. As I read through them a second time, I was drawn to a specifically nasty argument among five different readers. Their comments initially seemed strange, but then I realized that they were missing an important point. No one in the argument seemed to recognize how they all had different understandings of the American Dream. They were yelling (in the virtual world) past each other. This happens in many circles, including Christianity. Now some folks are arrogant enough to suggest that they know the true meaning of all Christian things, but for the rest of us, we have different takes on what it means to be a follower of Jesus – to claim him as: the Christ, Rabbi, crucified one, Redeemer, Prince of Peace, Righteousness of God, Savior, Incarnation, etc. For each Christian, there are one or two of these (or maybe something not listed) that resinate with us more than the others. Those couple of metaphors, titles or images become the lenses through which we view Jesus and what it means to follow Jesus. Does that mean some are right and some are wrong? That is a tough question to answer, but it does remind us how easily we can argue past each other. Instead of immediately debating some hot topic within Christianity, a good starting place might be to ask, Who do you believe Jesus was and is? For you personally, what is the most important aspect of the Jesus-story? Once those questions are answered, it becomes a bit more difficult to tell someone that they are wrong even if you disagree.
Prayer: Provide me a spirit of humility, O Lord, and keep me attentive to what others say. Give me the right questions to ask so that understanding is achieved before my arrogance claims victory. Amen.
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