Monday, 6 May, 2002

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother of sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall give praise to God." So then each of us will be accountable to God.Romans 14:10-12

Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Romans 14:13-18



When the Grace of God rules among us and we are set free within its domain, we are then confronted with the variety of ways and degrees by which it is accepted into the hearts of individuals. As we all come to the Good News with our own history and baggage and piety that is so much a part of us we cannot see ourselves with them, when we are now living with and worshipping with and praying with people who are very much at odd with our own piety, it can be disruptive. Pastorally, the community needs to keep the vision of the peaceable and merciful reign of God before us. For then, when our differences are so great that they could cause a split and warfare among us, we must take another look at how we help one another encounter again the Good News within our divisions. In that way, the Good News is not used as another fence post to divide - rather, it is vision that draws us all to a deeper truth about God's reign that bids us to find ways to be together even as we differ and grow.



Connection: One of the joys of life is that people are so different. One of the great difficulties in life is that people are so different. How do you manage in the midst of differences that seem to be so at odds with what you are doing? One great pathway to consider is the one on which we simply spend a lot of time listening.



Lord of Peace and Mercy, give us patience and keep us faithfully walking within the vision of your graceful reign so that we move the whole community of the faithful along a journey in which we blossom as you beloved people. Amen