You know that moment that you are talking with someone and then the conversation backfires on you? Well this is something that has happened to me many jobs, such as when I have a conversation/disagreement with Pastor Todd. This is also something that happened to me in a conversation with my boss earlier this week. I don’t really remember how the conversation started, but the conversation turned towards disagreeing with people that have different points of view – not only just simple disagreements, but not accepting the other points of view at all and seeing it as wrong, or even false. This conversation was one that was pointed toward me, yet was also one that was a growing moment for me. A moment to see how other people see me, and learn to grow.
The second week of Advent we are looking a peace, yet the peace that we are to know is not one where disagreements don’t happen. Rather disagreements are seen as moments in which one can learn and grow, and see them as ways to become better citizens of the kingdom of God. The conversation with my boss was a reminder of this. A reminder that as Christians we believe in the one God and Jesus Christ as the Messiah. There may be other parts of our faith where we may not always agree, yet these things should not be things that divide us, rather aiming to use that as a way to grow and become more united. A way for those of us that are strong to help the weak, to help out those that are struggling, not in the small things that we believe in, but as people of the kingdom of God. Struggling in faith, not in small beliefs.
A lot of times we tend to let the small things divide us, rather then trying to see and understand the other side. We need to listen to those that have a different outlook then us, we instead push them aside and try to insert our own view as the truth, rather than seeing the disagreement and using it as a way to make us grow. We make it into a stumbling block for those that struggle with faith and beliefs, making it an all or nothing type of deal, and turning something that is so small into something that divides us for the worse.
~ Pastor Jillian