Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. (Romans 14:1 The Message)
Fear Not… Then Disagree
My first best friend, Dan, was so wrong about Star Trek. He thought Captain Kirk was best, but I knew Mr. Spock was best. But we did not stop playing together, eating together, or watching together. But lately, it seems that such disagreements, even about minor things (which Star Trek is NOT) lead to division, separation, and hate.
We have forgotten Paul’s words, even in the church. We divide, seriously divide, over everything. Your view of Baptism is incorrect, so I won’t worship with you. My view of church government is wrong, so you won’t worship with me. Our views of end times differ, so we stop listening to each other.
But every one of those disagreements are among believers. Rather than let disagreements divide us, Paul says we should welcome them! We fear, perhaps, disagreement because we are insecure in our particulars… but maybe disagreeing discussions will help us understand our view more fully. We avoid, perhaps, disagreement because we have been buying into our culture’s declaration that different causes hatred… but maybe disagreeing discussions will help us find where agreement ties us together. We avoid, perhaps, disagreement because we are scared that we are wrong… but if we are wrong, don’t we want to be right?
Paul does not say that our disagreements are about ‘nothing.’ But He says that common faith in the necessary salvific work of Christ Jesus overwhelmingly unites us over every possible disagreement under that umbrella.
Fear not, then disagree.