Apologies for the brief hiatus in blogging. It's been a busy week (still going, too).
Scougal goes slightly off the rails at this juncture in his essay. While rightly extolling a consistent application of our Lord's injunction to love our neighbor as ourselves, he almost sings rhapsodically of the regard the world will have for the Christian who exhibits such a spirit.
Yet, did not Jesus perfectly practice love for others? And what was his reception from the world? Certainly not that he was "reverenced and admired, and accounted the darling of mankind." Far from it--he was accursed, hung on a tree. I believe the Christian who follows faithfully in the way of Christ will not receive the world's plaudits. But that is not his purpose anyway. His purpose is obedience to Christ's commands and his reward will not be earthly in nature but heavenly.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Very good point. Everyone would like to think they can attract others through being a loving example. But that also entails being held by the Truth, and not lying to others in order to befriend them. I've had a gay "Christian" heap more scorn on me in the last year because I won't cave and say OK to his false worldview.
I think the problem is that the world talks about love, but what it really desires is deference. Love, but with them at the center.
Welcome, Jim, and thanks for the comment. I've followed the "discussion" that has gone on over at MSC for many months now.
Your point about deference is well-taken. There's a mistaken idea about love that prevails in our culture and is closely akin to the equally mistaken view of tolerance. It used to be that the charitable man tolerated opinions different from his own without having to acknowledge their validity. It was an agreeable disagreement, a respectful difference of opinion. Now, it seems, it is no longer enough to allow the one with whom you disagree to live in peace. You must accept, or validate, or even commend him in his opinions. Anything less is seen as unloving. To be unloving is to be hateful. And there is nothing worse in the current culture than to be a "hater."
Post a Comment