The Conversation Matters

Recently I have let some things bother me. I have received a rash of email forwards and Facebook requests that are asking to take a stand against something. We have all seen them. We may have even forwarded a few of them ourselves. Some of them are in good fun I must admit. But others which tend to be more political or theological in nature just really tick me off lately. I'm sure in part it is because I in no way agree with them and that is my admitted bias.

But the larger issue for me is what this does to us. This impersonal scud style of rhetoric, which usually at the end states something to the effect of "if you love your country, or if you love Jesus then forward this to ten of your friends." Is that what I must do to show my loyalty or fidelity. I think not.

These online tools have become both a blessing and a curse. the blessing is it enables us to connect with friends and people all over the world. The curse is it is also easy for us to become lazy and let these quick sound bites substitute for real conversation and real relationship. Our world and our church has become so polarized as of late with the prevailing attitude of I'm right, your wrong, are you with us or against us. Now I am not calling us to not hold onto our virtues that we hold most dear, but we must not let our serious issues and disagreements come down to who can forward the most emails or get the best sound bite in.

Matthew 18 reminds us that we are to go to persons who we have an issue with, and speak to them personally. If that does not resolve the issue then take someone with you next time. the if not to go to the whole church. lately we tend to skip the first two parts. I would much rather have someone say to me, this is what I believe, and why, and allow me the opportunity share what I believe and why, and through our conversation allow a true relationship to build where if nothing else we can at least understand where one another are coming from in their view. When that happens we can no longer demonize them as hating America, or not truly loving Jesus because we have actually taken the time to know them and know there heart. When we do that true transformation occurs in each other and we break down barriers that separate us and can find thing that unite us.

That is why the conversation matters.