War is raging in the Middle East. The future seems so uncertain. And the present is more divided than ever. And I really didn’t think that was possible.
Antisemitism is on the rise, even here in SoCal….outside the Museum of Tolerance. How ironic is that? I think it is revealing how intolerant all of this diversity and equity really is. You see, our hatred is rooted in the fallen human condition. Therefore the solution is not more education, but heart change.
I love this quote from the late Tim Keller, “Tolerance isn’t about not having beliefs. It’s about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you.” All of our education has not been able to change how we relate to one another in our fallen state. And we need to learn that – even in our church community.
In Ohio this week, support for abortion was codified into their state constitution.
Why did people vote that direction? Do we blame a bad messaging or the budgets for each campaign? Maybe. But we live in a culture that idolizes sexual freedom. In order to have that freedom, the idolaters have concluded that they must be freed from the consequences of their own fertility. So when the Pill or other birth control measures fail, abortion is the fail-safe.
The only way to persuade people of the pro-life imperative is to dislodge the idol. I suspect it is going to take more than just money and messaging to dislodge that idol. Because the presence of an idol identifies a problem deeper than message or money. The opposition we face is more fundamental and intractable than we realize because is rooted in the fallen human condition. Can public policy fix that? It cannot.
Anecdotally, one woman wrote, “I’ve served in pregnancy care centers for 36 years. I see a massive change in our clients. Hardened hearts. They know it is a baby! They say, ‘I choose me.’ It is fundamentally about the idol of autonomy and covetousness.”
These are the days in which we serve the Savior, the Light of the world. We didn’t choose them. God did. These are not days to mope, complain, or give up. These are days to face our own fallen condition and cling to a Savior who can change our heart. It is about us, not them. It is about Him, not us. How are we treating those with whom we disagree? Do the love and grace of Jesus dominate our relationships? The future may seem uncertain and our world more divided than ever. But….Jesus. Be His ambassador in this world this week. We have no other choice.