Tolerance is one of those words, like homosexuality, that cause Christians everywhere to blanche. Speak of tolerance in a church or at a college like this one, and you're likely to be shunned.
I heard it in President Obama's inaugural address on Tuesday, and ever since it's been bouncing around in my brain. I know that a group of people, many who are Christians, heard that speech and cringed or scoffed or prayed for mercy on the U.S. because of those words.
It seems like an over reaction, to me, to be so sensitive to the word Tolerance.
So I began to contemplate its meaning and to try to decipher why some Christians fear this word so much. I see so much fear in the American church, and my contemplative efforts this time are framed in the context of understanding why that fear is present and how to dispell it. (Not that I could quell the fear, but even to encourage a few friend or family towards better understanding, and LESS fear would help.)
Tolerance:
Christians hear it and perhaps think "glossing over sin". Tolerating injustice and those things that the Bible and that Christ himself have illustrated or clearly stated as sin. Not seeing, not differentiating between right and wrong. Tolerance on this level is not in accord with God's Word and what we often interpret as His Will.
I guess I tend to envision tolerance in a much different manner. Intolerance to me speaks more of hate, more of differentiating on social or cultural or ethnic boundaries. Intolerance to me is not acceptance people. When I hear the President speak of tolerance, I'm thinking of not judging people based on their beliefs, their lifestyles, their bad choices (which we all make). Tolerating differences in the interest of touching peoples' lives. Jesus tolerated people. He was intolerant of sin, and yet he reached out to people steeped in it. He tolerated their differences (his holiness to their wretchedness) in an effort to reach their souls, to speak to their hearts and enable them to be better, to move on, to turn away from sin.
It can be dangerous for Christians to toss around the term tolerance, to say "Yes!" or "Amen!" when a leader or politician admonishes us toward this ideal. And yet, I would say, follow Jesus. He tolerated differences in order to create relationships. He tolerated the personal, emotional aspects in order to heal those wounds.
Wouldn't we all be wise to follow his example? To choose relationships over differences, to live and speak light and hope into the darkness surrounding us?
3 comments:
This is very interesting, Lana. I had no idea that the word 'tolerance' was troubling to some Christians. To me, the word 'tolerance' is troubling as well. Because to me, it implies that those things that we disagree with are somehow "bad." Tolerating, to me, implies enduring an unpleasant experience, and I find this to be not especially encouraging or positive thing to aspire to for our communities - I'd hope for more of a focus on making connections and building relationships rather than existing in parallel worlds each looking down their noses and "tolerating" the other.
I always thought "tolerate" was the word of those folks who'd like to maintain their distance and continue to cast judgment when coming together with "others."
Either way... I like this post. And I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on these things. As always, I really enjoy learning how you see and experience all this life we're living. Take care, my friend.
Thanks for posting your comment, Jami. I definitely don't have this totally figured out and I appreciate your perspective on the word, as well. I agree, it does give off the sense of judgment and an "I'm better than you" attitude. I wish we could strike it and its meaning from the American vocabulary and work on creating a word that has less of a negative connotation. Thanks for reading, friend!
I think you bring up a great point, and I'm glad you shared it!
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