The Difference...

What's the difference between a Sinner and a Saint?

The difference is that the Sinner looks at the saint as he walks by and says, "I could be just like him."

The Saint on the other hand, looks at the sinner as he walks by and says, "I could be just like him."

"There, but by the Grace of God, go I."

Stories from a Different Age

One of the most wonderful memories I have of growing up was my father reading to us kids (6 of us) after dinner. Every night as we were finishing up dinner, he would read first a couple of chapters out of the Bible, and then a chapter or two, or three if we could plead with him, from some other book. He picked different books, mostly from missionary biographies, or stories about great Christians from the past, or from various fiction works from authors like C.S. Lewis. I think we went through the entire 7 book series of the Chronicles of Narnia, THREE TIMES. I don't even remember him using particular voices or anything, but I can remember being able to see those stories in my mind's eye as he would read them. From the works of Paul Brand and "Ten Fingers for God" to "Through Gates of Splendor", to "Hammered as Gold", that's how I learned to look beyond my small world to the far corners of the earth that Jesus has sendt us to.

I think that's one of the things I wish I had done with my kids when they were growing up. (*sigh*) A different age.

Hard Pressed on Every Side, But Not Crushed

2 Corinthians 4:7

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

The passage in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4, where Paul recounts the many forms of suffering that he and his team had gone through -- pressed but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned -- is certainly a familiar one. All of us can relate to Paul's statement at some level or another, though I don't know if there is anyone who has gone through all of these difficulties to the same extent that Paul had. However, it is a great comfort to see how Paul was subject to each of these difficulties and persecutions, but never to the point of breaking. We are reminded of another passage written earlier to the same church, in 1 Corinthians 10:13, where he reminds the church that,

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

However, sometimes I think we forget the opening of the paragraph. Paul's emphasis was not on the deliverance which he had experienced, but rather on the fact that JESUS had intentionally orchestrated these circumstances in order to show to Paul, and to anyone who saw him, that it was not Paul's great strength of character, or Paul's wisdom, or even his ability to deliver the message that was the source of the power of the message he was bringing. The persecution and trouble was not something that Paul had to get through in order to present his message. In a way, the persecution was the message itself. In addition to the proclamation of verse 4 from above, he continues in verse 11:

For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.

Paul saw himself as a jar of clay, holding a message of such power and glory that he did not want in any manner to get in the way of it, or to attempt to "borrow" any of its glory for himself. All that he could think of was that the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus be what people saw in him. For the Corinthian church in particular, he could see how his suffering would bring many to a knowledge of Christ, and that it would "cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God."

Of course, Paul didn't work to artificially manufacture this suffering. At times, Christians have tried to create their own suffering, either in Martin Luther's self inflicted beatings, or the dour faces of Christians who believe it is a sin to enjoy anything in this life. Suffering for suffering's sake isn't going to bring any Glory to God, and I don't think Paul was any great fan of suffering itself. Rather, "we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake," and the persecution followed as surely as thunder follows lightning. Some things, such as the storm at sea as Paul was traveling to Rome, were the consequences not of outright opposition or persecution, but rather of other people's poor decisions, and the workings of God's finger on the forces of nature. However, Paul took each of these in stride, choosing to see God's hand behind the circumstances rather than the circumstances themselves. He never forgot that he was jar of clay -- one with an eternal future to look forward to, but clay nonetheless. In a way, it might seem to be darkly humorous that, after recounting all of the horrible things he had gone through, Paul would simply refer to them as "light and momentary troubles," but the secret is in the perspective that he kept:

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Passage at Bible Gateway

Why Can't We Just Get Along?

Why can't we just get along? All around us we see the signs of intolerance. In Northern Ireland, religious intolerance has led to a long history of strife between Catholics and Protestants. In Western Africa, racial intolerance has led to tribes that have been killing each other for hundreds of years. In the nations of the Horn of Africa – Ethiopia, Somalia and the Sudan – ethnic cleansing are still leaving thousands dead. In Iraq and Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, Sunni and Shia militias are killing each other every day.

In our own country, there are plenty of signs of intolerance. We can point to signs that we are overcoming the evils of racial prejudice, but our inner cities and schools are still starkly segregated as minorities struggle to overcome the traps of poverty and crime. Our political debates often descend into shouting matches, or “shock jocks” spewing hatred, whether it be Abortion, public health care, conservative vs liberal or the growing anti-war protests.

Amid the din of the screaming and yelling people call for tolerance. “Why can't we just get along?” “Live and let live!” Can't we just put our differences behind us and live together?

What is tolerance really? It is the act of ignoring our differences in order to accomplish another goal. Often that goal is simply peaceful coexistence. At other times, it might be an economic goal. We may overlook (tolerate) the inhumane working conditions imposed by a trading partner, if that partner will provide with cheaper goods and services than we can obtain from someone of higher ethical standards. We imagine that, if we would just be tolerant, then we could live with each other in wonderful peace. After all, no two human beings look at the world through exactly the same set of eyes. Marriage is a prime example of the need for tolerance. Does it really make that much difference if the toothpaste is squeezed from the end or in the middle, or if the toilet paper roll comes over the front or down the back?

However, there are times when the differences are just too big to ignore. Perhaps the most obvious example of the failure of tolerance and was that shown by the governments of Britain, France and Italy in the Munich Agreement of September 1938. Rather than recognizing Hitler and the threat he posed, the leaders of the day decided to tolerate his actions as he began to re-arm Germany, if only he would promise to be nice. When Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, the British Prime Minister Chamberlain was still not prepared to take the country to war over “..a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing.” As a result, Hitler drove all of Europe, and ultimately much of the rest of the world into the horrors of World War II.

I remember a time when drunk driving was tolerated by our culture. Sure, people knew it was “wrong”, but for the most part, people treated it as a joke. Then, along came Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. They were MADD, and they were no longer going to tolerate the slaughter of their children! Between MADD and other organizations like that, they shook up our nation, and changed fundamental attitudes in our culture about drinking and driving.

We can think of Civil Rights leaders throughout our own history – heroes who would not stand by and tolerate the evils of prejudice and segregation, risking their lives to fight for justice and equality. Martin Luther King was not a “tolerant” man. Rosa Parks decided she would no longer tolerate being told to go to the back of the bus, and almost ignited a war, but in the end, her action proved to be a turning point for an entire nation.

There are some evils that we cannot turn our backs on and pretend they do not exist. If it's just the toothpaste, then the value of harmonious living far outweighs the value of having the tube squeezed the “right” way. In other cases, it is simply the realization that beating someone over the head is often counterproductive, and more can be accomplished by reasonable discussion. The Crusades were a short victory, but ultimately accomplished few lasting results, other than creating a deep seated hatred between Eastern and Western cultures. However, there are still things worth believing in, and even fighting for.

The reason why intolerance causes so much of a problem in society is that it usually degrades first of all into a “Us vs. Them” attitude, and from there into a hatred of those who are different from us, or those who have different purposes and priorities than we do. Intolerance is often based on ignorance.

If tolerance in itself is not the answer then, what is?

The first thing we must do is determine in our own minds what is important to us, and what isn't. What we stand for, and why? We must understand though, that almost all issues are complex, and do not lend themselves to simple black and white solutions.

But then, once we know what we really believe in, we still need to hold on to the basic dignity of each human being, even when they disagree with us on those important things. In part, it is a matter of respect. If I believe something, then I must, by definition, believe that I am correct. However, we must understand though, that the issues we struggle with are complex, and do not lend themselves to simple black and white solutions. I must also realize that I don't know all the answers, that I don't even know all the facts, and I could be wrong. Even if I'm not wrong, there is still an opportunity to learn from that other person.

For example, I call myself a Christian. I believe in the literal life and work of the man Jesus Christ, and the factual accuracy of the Bible. This is a belief that I would die for. However, that doesn't mean I cannot tolerate the presence of other religions. This country was based on the concept of religious freedom, not because the founders thought that religion was not important, but because they believed in the basic dignity of the individual, that truth is not found through intimidation, threats or coercion, and that each man and woman must seek this truth on his or her own.

There is an old proverb, attributed to Native American tradition, that you should never judge a man until you have traveled a mile in his moccasins. Many raging arguments would take on a decidedly more peaceful tone if the two sides would take a moment to look at the issue from the other person's perspective. It is an interesting exercise to try to debate a topic... from the other person's point of view. It forces you to look through the other person's eyes. It might not be enough to make you change your mind, but it can give you a respect for where the other person is coming from.

There are so many things which make us different as individuals. In many cases, we can learn to appreciate and enjoy those differences, though sometimes we may have to learn to just ignore them in order to be able to live and work together. In some cases though, the differences will be significant, and cannot be glossed over. However, even in these cases, we can still learn to respect one another. If we take the time to overcome ignorance, and try to understand the issues from the other person's perspective, then even in our struggles for the truth, we can learn from each other, and all be wiser for the experience.