Looking at other blogs in which Christian and Christianity is mentioned or is the topic, I ran across Nan’s Notebook. She posted an article with the title If you are a Christian. . . in which she relates and speaks about a comment she ran across in another blog: “I experienced a slow and somewhat painful internal struggle to accept that I don’t believe in God anymore. When I finally did, I felt free, like I could finally learn to accept who I was.”
Her post started a long sting of comments. 193 comments.
I commented:
Too many years ago now I enjoyed many conversations with a fellow from Australia, then residing in California. We didn’t discuss ‘religion’ per say, but simply talked about life and how we each saw it from a different perspective. He was not a Believer. I am. Yet we shared so much in common, and enjoyed each other’s company.
It seems to me that one of the most difficult things Believers and those who do not can do is simply appreciate each other, both similarities and differences without trying to change one another.
Nan, you and I could sit in a cafe and in similar manner converse with one another and enjoy ourselves. I appreciate you. I sense a kindness and gentle sincerity that comes from your heart.
Shalom.
As a reader of JonahzSong, you’ve experienced my life through various stories. Most of them I’ve attempted to bring an article—a post—to a Messiah-focused conclusion. I don’t think I make any bones about it, I believe in YeshuaJesus. As I’ve been “reconstructing” JonahzSong, I’m attempting to focus on Setting Sail for an Abundant Life.
Yet, in my comment to Nan, I say that she and I could sit in a cafe and have a conversation and enjoy ourselves. One might wonder if that isn’t a contradiction. One might wonder if I am, after all, a hypocrite.
You tell me. I really welcome your comments. For as I’ve said before, I question things. I question myself. I don’t have the answers. Yes, I know Who does. And our L-RD seems to allow use to search for them.
A short vignette illustrates my view, I think.
One evening, walking across a park in Jerusalem, I came upon two men talking.
“Brother, tell this man about Jesus,” one man called to me.
I approached to men and immediately notice the man who was speaking to the one who summoned me wore a kippa. He was Jewish. There were a few other things said as I stood before the men. And finally I responded.
“I can not to that. My brother,” I said referring to the Jewish man, ” has not asked me. I cannot impose myself upon him.”
The Christian who’d called to me seemed upset, and finally went on his way to “witness” to someone else. I was left standing with the Jewish man.
“I’d like you to meet my rabbi,” he said. He invited me to his synagogue.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:10-17 (NIV)
L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine upon you and give you a heart for truth and mercy.
Klip in Die Bos:Pastor Thabo, in South Africa, occasionally uses the Afrikaans term that means something like tossing a stone into the brush and seeing what pops out.
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