What do you think about ‘tolerance’?  After all, in pluralistic cultures like our own, a high value is placed on tolerance.  Most things are tolerable except intolerance itself. The healthy side of “politically correct” tolerance is that it attempts to assure mutual respect among people of different trains of thought. On the other hand, danger develops when the children of such cultures are raised to consider all points of view as being equal.

 Without sounding “fire and brimstone” Baptist, where does this leave us who do not believe everything is relative or that all religions or philosophical views are equally valid?  Should we rise up and fight the fight? Should we insulate ourselves from the world by “sticking our heads in the sand”?

 While the God of the Bible teaches us not to tolerate pride, greed or sexual immorality in ourselves or in the lives of other believers, He teaches His people to tolerate sin in the lives of those who are ‘seekers’ (I Corinthians 5:7-13). To tolerate sin in the lives of ‘seeker’ neighbors does not mean who condone their sin.  It means we seek to patiently to love them and introduce them to Christ, just as God has loved us to Himself.  So, as Christians, we must pray for them and give them reason to receive Jesus Christ as one’s personal Lord and Savior.

 These friends don’t need an argument, or prosecutor or judge. I have found they need a friend who can journey with them, assisting them in crossing the bridge of decision for purpose with the final destination being a relationship with Jesus Christ.

A Fellow Sojourner,

Pastor Jim