Respectfully Disagree

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

(John 3)

This passage reminds us that there are two kinds of people: those who are in the light and those who are in the dark. 

The past few months have been exhausting for everyone because of the pressure to take the "correct side." Every issue has become one of moral and ethics. If you stand on the "wrong side," you're labeled as unloving, inhumane, ... and maybe even "unChristlike." Take for example:

1. Masks vs. No Masks
2. Church Reopen vs. Church Remain Close
3. Stock Up vs. Get What You Need
4. Follow CDC vs. CDC is Corrupt
5. Cops Were Right vs. Cops Are Racist
6. We're Not Doing Enough vs. This is Overreacting
7. Vaccine vs. Anti-vax

And the list goes on and on, especially if any of the examples were expanded further. I am not proposing that we remain neutral or without a position. Taking a stance or a "side" is not inherently wrong. You are allowed to form an opinion based on what you understand and experience. 

The calling is for the church to remain undivided in this time. This happens when we remember that the "other side" also has valid reasons, too. We are to love each other despite what position or stance they take. 

Because in the eyes of Christ, these topics are temporary and not eternal. When the Church focuses on these hot topics of society, we forget the eternal issue at hand: Light vs. Dark. All throughout Scripture, we see this divide: those who are in the Dark and those who are in the Light. 

That is there the divide is. Even if a Brother/Sister in Christ takes a different stance than you, understand that they are still on the same side: the Light. It becomes dangerous when we look at someone and say, "Since you don't wear masks, you must not love people. Therefore, you must be on the side of Darkness."  That is not how the reasoning goes. That is not how Scripture talks about Light vs. Dark. 

What about those who truly are on the Dark side: the side that rejects Jesus Christ as Savior and do not submit to His Lordship? 

Matthew 5 gives us an insight into the mind of our King and His command/expectation of all those who recognize His Lordship:

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Did you catch that? Pray for those who persecute you. Yet we struggle with those who merely disagree with us. If His Majesty expects us to pray for those who persecute us, surely we are also called to pray for those who disagree with us. 

We pray, not for them to see our views or come to our "side" of a topic, but we pray for non-believers to believe. We are called to reach from the Light into the Dark and pull them over; pulling from Death to Life. 

May that be the only division you see. May that cause you to be compassionate and reach out to as many as you're able to. May we be humble in whichever stance we take on a certain issue, acknowledging that our Brothers/Sisters in Christ have valid concerns as well. 

I'm not calling for our church to have one united opinion about everything. I'm calling for the church to love despite the many different opinions we have. That is how the world will know that we are His disciples: if we love one another (John 13:35).