on being a good model

What are you passionate about? That probably goes a long way in analyzing issues from Jesus’ perspective in yesterday’s post. People make decisions most often by our passions and emotions rather than by pure principled logic. So, we naturally go to the “Jesus card” when it comes to our own passions.

Of course Jesus would have… (fill in the blank).

Well, like other Christians, I am called to speak for Jesus as he is using me as a conduit for what he wants known in the places in the world I find myself. This includes many actions, few words. Here are some rules of thumb I look to, in order to patiently and respectfully be a conduit, in particular with those whom you disagree.

I am not about using condemning absolutes. I am not about condemning at all. I can’t declare a person is outside of God’s care or love, because it is not my business to declare anything like that and through examining the Bible and the model of Jesus, I don’t believe that is true. God’s care is for all people and God’s love is for those who seek him and can recognize it as such. Not that he doesn’t love, but when I use the word in this context, it presupposes some sort of relationship to know the love. God is the final judge of everyone.

Don’t try to assume you know what is going on in a person’s mind and soul when you disagree with them. I don’t spend a lot of time trying to figure Michael Shiavo out, for instance, though I didn’t agree with many of his decisions. I believe he was wrong in the process, but I am not saying he was intentionally trying to wrong Terri. He may have thought he was doing what was best. We may not have known what was going on in Terri’s mind and soul, but neither do we know Michael, either.

More rules of thumb to follow.