Taking Sides
We do we feel the need to take sides? What is it about the me-against-you mentality that we find so appealing?
Of course, people have opinions and will naturally align with those of the same opinions. But people don't just stop there. They begin to wave the flag of that opinion and try to change the minds of others in order for their numbers to grow. People get so adamant that they are right and others are wrong, that they become blind and see only what they allow.
The best example I can think of is that of political parties. Die hard party members can sometimes be so up in arms about what they believe is right about their way of doing things and how the other side is so evil and corrupt, that they will take a stance on issues that they don't necessarily agree with, but will go along with for the sake of the party itself. Such people are what Bill O'Reilly calls "Kool-Aid drinkers". They will take their opinions to the grave, even if they are wrong.
I see this in the church time and time again. In fact, so many pastors and so many congregations have danced the dance of issues, stances, doctrine and trivial disagreements so much, that there is a term for it: church politics. What has happened to the message of Christ and his legacy is that we have analyzed and dissected it so much, we now have to argue over just about everything we can find. Again, we've "Lost the plot". It is another kind of radical.
I think back to the abortion protestors again. They are so adamant not only that they are right, but also that it is their duty and God's will to see to it that abortion will become illegal. What I suspect is that they have such an emotional stake in that belief that they will convince themselves that they are performing God's will, whether or not it actually is His will.
Before you take an emotional stance on an issue, remember that it is God's will, not ours, that is to be done. Logic cannot help you here. God's will is not constrained by our logic. We do not know the mind of God, but He knows ours.
2 comments:
The problem is that if I were to start to talk about my religious beliefs people would become uncomfortable. I wish everyone could just follow Christ and that be it but everyone has a different Jesus that they worship. Who I think Jesus is may or may not be totally different than yours and as hard as you try to accept my views, it's very difficult. I think one day we'll all learn what he's really like and then everything will be all good!
I think that if we put some of our differences aside to simply focus on Christ and his passion for us, we would realize how truely trivial our personal beliefs are.
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