Blog

Observation

With partial knowledge, faint reflections and incomplete understanding we go to war to defend our version of right. We create enemies of family to wave our flag of right. Somehow we convince ourselves deeply that despite other, or even opposing opinions, we are absolutely right. The reality is we could all be wrong. What is it about being right that would have me act so foolishly when the stacks of needing to be right are so high? The causalities of our warring for our version of ‘right’ is – love, unity, and the advancement of the gospel. Is it security I get from being right? Is it my tendency to the sin of tribalism? We must search our hearts for the why behind our need for right.

You would think salvation was tied to our capacity for right believing rather than our capacity, willingness to receive God’s love. Can Jesus walk with me in my wrong believing? Does my sonship hinge on my right believing? Is God big enough to handle us both in his love when we are deeply opposed in belief? Why, who and what are we defending, and is it worth defending based on the cost that our defence demands. Can we learn to walk in opposing views and stay loving each other that the gospel may advance? When I say you are wrong and I can’t sit at a table with you, the city I am sent to disciple pays the price of possibly never meeting Jesus, possibly never knowing the love of the Father. Think about that? Is anything worth even the chance of that happening? Families stay in darkness, because I can’t sit with you in love because I am so convinced I am right and so sure you are wrong. How foolish it is when those who see dimly claim perfect sight. How foolish it sounds when those with partial knowledge beat their chests with certainty. How foolish it is when those who have incomplete understanding argue to the death with those who disagree. Can we accept our short comings in the understanding stakes and walk with humility and the posture of enquiry, rather than dressed with the gloves of judgement? When we will see the progressive unfolding of our understanding of God and scripture and walk with the tension of holding my current beliefs knowing that they can and may well change? Will I allow His love to drive out the fear rather than take a dogmatic stand of ‘right’ as my saving place.

Application

My posture will always be one of interest, enquiry, not judgement and competitive argument. I will never sacrifice love for right. I will never allow unity to be secondary to my defence of my version of right. The gospel advancing will never be trumped by my defence of my version of gospel ‘purity. ‘ I will accept my partial, incomplete, faint seeing and walk in the intimacy of God with a look to progressively see His beauty and understanding and how that beauty is to be displayed in my life. I will not demand that you shape your journey on mine but rather allow you the beauty of your own journey.

Response

Thank you that I see partially. Thank you that with partial sight you call me to love not judgement. Thank you that knowing you is not an exercise in rightness, where becoming more right is the goal, but rather an intimate unfolding experience of personal deeper knowing. It’s great to know that I can be thoroughly wrong and deeply loved. Thank you that you call me to treat others in the same way. You don’t want defence lawyers that war with the family, you want children who know the joy and beauty of your love. I will live in incomplete understanding excited that at the proposition of progressive revelation knowing that “one day I will understand everything.”

Meditation

Meditate – My understanding is incomplete now.

Consider:
Why do I argue so violently for what I have derived at to be right?
Am I really prepared to pay the price of right?