Give Up Judging
For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” – Galatians 5:14 (NRSV)
Chapter 5 of Galatians is worth a good long read. It is about the subject of Christian freedom, which the writer imagines is a kind of slavery to love. It is about the difference between the law and grace, using circumcision as an example, concluding that it matters little if we are or are not circumcised. Instead it matters a lot how we talk about the subject to each other.
Maybe you don’t need to read this chapter. You may have no issues about right and wrong cultural customs, the right way to dress for church, the right foods to eat in Lent. You may never have spoken of chocolate cake as “sinful” or scoffed at someone who was obese. You may attend church meetings and tolerate all the points of view expressed by other members. If so, skip this chapter.
If, however, you find yourself coiled culturally, intolerant of difference, unkind when someone smokes in public or brings a dog to a meeting, turn to Galatians 5 and sit down for the long read. You will learn what it means to be in love with each other. You will also be brought to attention by the warning that sometimes when we “bite and devour each other,” we actually find ourselves chewed up, even consumed.
Be kind. Fall in love. Think less about circumcision, ancient or modern, and more about love.
Prayer
O God, we pray that we can be a little yeast that leavens the entire dough of community, and that when we are gone, people miss us because our kindness is lost. Amen.
About the AuthorDonna Schaper is a rewired transitional pastor in the UCC and the author most recently of Remove the Pews—first from your theology, then from your building.