Saturday, April 24, 2010

Why can't we all just get along?

I hear Rodney King's sentiment, "Why can't we all just get along?" echoed now and again among various groups of people that I hang out with. But I wonder what they mean by that. More often than not, the impression I'm left with is closer to "Why can't everyone who disagrees with me just stop being stupid and agree with me?" It seems that people would like to have unity, but at the same time I don't see them doing anything that involves them crossing those invisible barriers that divides groups of people from one another. They're not building bridges. They're not listening to opposing view points. They're not walking in other people's shoes. 

I came across two quotes recently that I found interesting in that they seem to encourage a culture of discovery, discussion, respect and scholarship. I'm sure I could find all sorts of quotes that encourage such a culture, but what struck me about these quotes is that they actually are already rooted in a culture: Judaism. 

Pertaining to Biblical studies, the saying shiv'im panim la-Torah, "The Law has seventy faces," is a reminder that Torah can be interpreted many ways.

In other words, just because it's plain as day to me that such and such means THIS, that doesn't mean that everyone else is seeing with the same eyes. And just because their perspective is different doesn't mean they're wrong. We should explore our difference of opinion. Maybe there's information that colors our understanding that would be helpful to share. Perhaps there's experiences or details that, while not changing our mind, might help us to graciously accept and understand why the other person thinks differently. Perhaps we can stop thinking that we are always right.  

For those who undertake the study of more than five centuries of rabbinical thought--the Talmud--another maxim applies: elu va-elu divrey Elohim khayim ("both are the words of the living God"). This means that interpretations which are contrary to one another may both be acceptable.

The endless debates regarding free will vs. predestination immediately jump to mind. (As do several political debates that seem to polarize the church as well as the nation.) If all things are predestined, then how can we be responsible for anything we do, whether good or bad? But if all relies upon free will, then aren't we negating God's sovereignty and his will? But why does it have to be only one way or the other? Can't we be fully culpable for our actions and can't God also be fully in control? Isn't is possible that both are accurate interpretations of the scriptures? (The example of Pharaoh comes to mind.)

If we are ever to see unity within the church, we need to start by listening to one another. And we need to realize that *I* am not the final arbiter of what is right or wrong. God is. And he has placed us in a community, not for us to antagonize each other, but for us to learn from each other and encourage and exhort one another. 

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The quotes were taken from the book Hebrews through a Hebrews Eyes by one of my former pastors, Stuart Sacks.

Friday, April 2, 2010

More Guinness: The Case for Civility

"At one level, in resisting what they see as wrong forces, Christian arguments have become sub-Christian, even anti-Christian." -- Os Guinness


Os Guinness Part 1 from CPX on Vimeo.

Thanks to Jason (WiselyWoven) for the link.