Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Laying Down the Gloves

 

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.  1 Thessalonians 5:19

In the interest of full-disclosure I’ve found a way to anger just about anyone.  It’s been said (too often), if you want to start an argument, talk politics or religion.  Adding to that time-tested maxim, if you want a nuclear-blast kind of argument, combine the nitro of politics with the glycerin of religion.  Ok…so, here goes.

The conservative-liberal spectrum actually does have a center.  Those on the fringe far left or right are rarely those who manage to achieve anything resembling harmony or even civility.  A foaming-at-the-mouth-right-conservative and a foaming-at-the-mouth-left-liberal will never even agree that they disagree.  The only topic will ever be just how awful the other thinks and behaves.  One is steeped in the politics of CNN, the other worships on Fox.  The only meeting of the minds is that the other deserves to be drawn and quartered just long and painfully enough to give his opponent time to think up something really nasty and hurtful to do next. 

The fringe probably amounts to less than 20% of the population, but, as in squeaky wheels, they have the larger audience.  For the other 80% who tend to think a little more clearly (as in allowing for grace and humility), I tend to think of those who have a baseline theological understanding of political bent, but leaning (gracefully) towards the other side; at least to hear and try to understand, if not accede a change of heart and mind.  In this model, for instance, the LEFT-based person believes in affirming LGBTQ++ as normative, but is willing to hear (without dissing) the Biblical/conservative rationale for God's judgment on same.  The Conservative-based-with-liberal-leaning (of which I admit) is the mirror image.  I am an orthodox construct in historical Christianity as a base, interpreting progressive neo-Christian (meaning LGBTQ++ affirmation is ungodly and thereby inviting judgment).  At the same time my "liberal-lean" will cause me to listen with compassion and respect, even if it rankles my doctrinal anchors.  And I do so because the soul of the one to which I listen was created in the image of God - the same God Who created me.

How does that look in street clothes?  I want you to meet Douglas.  Back in the early 1980’s while attending seminary, I worked as a drive-up teller in a bank.  Douglas was a young, single man who worked the same shift.  The bank drive-up lanes were open until 9pm, so we had a lot of time to talk in-between customers.  Douglas was open about his sexuality, and the struggle with which he lived, just wanting a normal life.  Normal seemed an unreachable, and it wasn’t hard to see the tortured, bruised soul that longed to be accepted and genuinely loved.  But there was also an admirable bravery about Douglas opening-up to a very conservative seminary student, someone from the enemy camp.  In that I saw the possibility of true dialogue, a common ground of human compassion.

Other than those long discussions, spurred mostly by Douglas’ questions about God and faith, one forty-year-old memory stands; Douglas came to our home on campus (enemy territory) because we invited him to share a meal together.  It was a holiday, and this very alone young man needed some family time.  It was not a liberation seminar, or condescending normal family throwing the poor gay guy a bone…it was just a few human souls sharing a holiday meal.

Time and circumstances, combined with different life paths took Douglas out of our lives, but the memory remains.  Somehow after the family meal on a warm Fall afternoon, our differences between gay and straight, politically left or right, theologically conservative or progressive,were not the highlight of conversation anymore. 

For You Today

When you let-go of the fighting mode long enough for God’s Spirit to enter the equation, some marvelous changes have a chance to emerge.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!   


[1] Title Image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

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