“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!” (Luke 6:27, NLT)

I truly enjoy blogging and exchanging ideas. There are quite a few things I choose not to engage in on this particular blog, though I might give it a swing on Facebook. One reason I may not engage fully is how we tend to get quite nasty in our disagreements. Sometimes we get into areas that really are difficult and navigating those waters gets downright choppy.

Two huge issues come to mind:

1. Rob Bell and the “new universalism” (which isn’t new, but we can call it that, I suppose).

2. The ordaining of homosexuals that was approved by the Presbyterian Church USA this week. (Or, any other issue dealing with homosexuality.)

There are quite simply matters that will not be resolved in this space we call “time.” Not our lifetimes. Not the next generation. We will just keep struggling along.

Yet, we get so disagreeable in our disagreements!

Quite frankly, we like our own positions and anyone who can’t see it our way is just plain nuts! 😉

In this vein, while I do not wish to wade into debates on particular issues, I offer a couple of thoughts:

1. I may not agree with you on your position. To be honest, I may even think you’re wrong. But know this: That takes nothing away from me respecting you.

For instance, I will disagree politically with President Obama 90 plus percent of the time on policy. That does not lessen my respect for him as president.

2. If I treat those who disagree with me in a way that seems to hold contempt, I am wrong. I may be right in my “position,” but that does not give me freedom to hold the other position with contempt.

For instance, I will disagree politically with Republicans AND Democrats on so many issues. Traditionally, I have voted Republican. I have since re-evaluated that position, but that doesn’t readily mean I would vote for a Democrat. That does not mean I need to say, “Anyone voting Democrat just can’t be a Christian,” or something to that effect. Nor do I accept someone saying, “If you vote Republican, how can you call yourself a Christian?”

In our current climate in American Christianity and American democracy, we have the position of  “We disagree, and we will be disagreeable doing it.”

I just simply don’t want to be that way. If I choose to act that way, or act in a way that would seem hateful to a position different than mine, how am I different? That is the question posed in Luke 6. Why just be nice to those who agree with you? The rest of the world does that! Big deal! Kingdom living calls for something different. It isn’t easy! But it just may make a difference if we, as believers, decide to give it a shot.