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
