I want to be careful as I start writing this not to give the impression that I’m up on my soapbox talking down at you. If anything this is the internal conversation that I’ve found myself having constantly lately as chief among the guilty. Also only about 10-15 people will read this anyway so I guess it doesn’t matter too much. So what am I guilty of? It’s hearing an opinion that I disagree with (often in a more hot button arena) and immediately finding myself in anger or debate mode. Ready to tell the person, tv personality, or blog writer why what they are saying is wrong, short sighted, ignorant, uneducated, etc.
This is so easy to do! It’s what the culture does, why shouldn’t we? Oh, because if we call ourselves followers of Jesus then we should look to His model. It doesn’t take long to look at scripture and realize when people said the hot button statement or asked the piercing question of Jesus He never responded with fighting or debating words. The most impressive thing, to me, is how Jesus always saw the person behind the statement.
We are so good at this sometimes. It’s really easy when you already know someone. Take an example of a close friend who went to a rival school. When a friend who is a UNC fan says an ignorant statement like “Sam Howell (the UNC quarterback) is the best in the ACC” I can give him a break because I know them and their story. They were unfortunate to grow up in a house that brainwashed them to that lack of reason so I can give them a break. This is a silly example but it still applies when a close friend or relative says something controversial about a more serious subject. We are able to give them the benefit of the doubt because we know them and their larger personality or story.
So here is the challenge: As a follower of Jesus, when someone says the controversial thing, even someone we don’t know. See that there is humanity and a story that led them to that place. Rather than being immediately appalled or defensive, let’s give ourselves permission to hear from someone else. I don’t think our brains are going to rot if we give someone else the opportunity to explain themselves and their values. And the craziest thing is…. Even if they elaborate and you get to the end still thinking their opinions and values are too right, too left, too progressive, too conservative, too extreme, too reserved, too misinformed, too different. Peoples opinions and values don’t have a single damn thing to do with their value as a human. The Lord defined that so we don’t need to find ourselves concerned with making that judgment of peoples value.
Dear Lord, would you make us a people who see the person rather than the single action, value, or opinion.
-Jeb