Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Better Than Tolerance

An Inkling
Blogs are well suited for light lifting – the humorous, the pithy, the heart-warming.  But today my thoughts are heavier lifting – at least for me!
Here’s what I’ve been pondering:  as best I can tell, the only virtue that can spring from relativism is tolerance.  But tolerance is anemic compared with the virtue that comes with an assured commitment to the truth of the gospel, forbearance. 
Let’s unpack that a bit.  Relativism is the assumption that truth and morality are not finally dependable because they are simply a product of one’s cultural and historical context.  It is the assumed belief of the vast majority in America, and all the stronger because they hold it unaware.
Tolerance is a willingness to abide beliefs or behavior with which one does not agree.  We cut each other some slack since no one really knows what’s true or right anyway!  Such tolerance provides a measure of peace when different sorts of people live next to each other.  And that’s good.
But it’s anemic compared to forbearance.  Forbearance is a willingness to bear with someone’s failings and errors because of a love for that person.  Tolerance withers when the dissonance becomes too marked.  Forbearance is more robust, for it is founded upon God’s own forbearance toward us in Jesus, and not simply on the idea that none of our beliefs are really assured.
This kind of philosophical thinking can make your brain run hot.  But it becomes simpler when one knows Jesus.  It becomes an of course kind of thing.  Because of his love for us Jesus forbears with us, even as his grace is transforming us.  So of course we would want to forbear with others.  Mere tolerance runs a poor second.
May the way we live make our forbearance obvious and the source of our forbearance apparent to all!
Blessings,

Keith