TOLERANCE ISN’T THE ANSWER
PROVERBS 25:21-22, COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE (CEB)
21 If your enemies are starving, feed them some bread;
if they are thirsty, give them water to drink.
22 By doing this, you will heap burning coals on their heads,
and the Lord will reward you.
It is said, “when you point a finger at someone else there are three pointing back at you.” I am becoming increasingly aware of this truth when I speak and when I write.
When I was a teenager and would plead with my mom to allow me to do something I wanted to do, but she didn’t think was such a good idea, she would ask me, “who are you trying to convince me or you?”
Parents have a unique ability to see what teenagers believe is hidden or unknown, but the joke or the secret is really what the teen doesn’t know. That is, their parents have already tried the same lines and same poor reasoning long before they were even thought of.
Oh, yeah! My point! I hope that as you read my writings and, or listen to my weekly messages you will be aware of the fact that I am not “preaching” to you alone. When I am stepping on “your toes,” trust me when I tell you, sometime during that week or during my life the Holy Spirit had stomped on mine also.
Living out Proverbs 25:21, is a great example of one of those times when the Spirit was all over me. It has not been just one time, but over and over again God has gone after me on the issue of providing for those who come to me in need. I continue to struggle with the words I read here in Proverbs, as well as, elsewhere in the Scriptures.
Before you dismiss me by saying, “William is too hard on himself,” or before you label me as one political persuasion or another, or before you say, “God didn’t mean…” I at least want you to know that I have said all of those things before too. This does not make me superior or better because I once thought or acted one way, but now attempt to be different, but I do think it makes me worth listening to.
Our culture values tolerance. The problem we continually run into is how we define the word. To “Tolerate” something is often understood to mean, that I will agree with you as long as you agree with what “I” already believe to be true. This is true of secular society as well as within the church. FYI: We define fairness similarly, “that which works out best for me.” Both of these definitions miss the mark.
I am not convinced that tolerance should be the measure of goodness, and I am certain it is not the highest moral good. The fact is, some things are just intolerable. Perhaps you like to kick puppies; well, I am sorry, I can’t tolerate that! So if tolerance isn’t the answer, perhaps intolerance is? Well, that depends upon what you mean.
Yes, I am intolerable of people kicking puppies, but I am not going to kill them or fight them, neither will I argue my moral position against kicking puppies is better than their position which says it is ok to kick puppies (although, my position is better)
So, if neither tolerance, defined as agreeing with that which I already believe to be true, nor intolerance, understood to mean the ability to defeat “my” enemy is the correct reaction, what is? Wait for it…
What I believe is called for is a good look at ourselves. We must all wrestle with our demons. Those things which haunt us, and cause us to stumble. The proper attitude is that which says, “With God’s help I will overcome.”
As Christians, we must also wrestle with God, actually, predominately with God. Our demons are no match for Him, so they are more of an afterthought when seen in the proper perspective. We wrestle with God through conversations called prayer, and through the holy writings called the Scriptures. I don’t know about you, but there are times when I pray and read the bible when I am sorry I wore my flip-flops instead of my steel toes.