One of the most exciting truths about the Gospel is that it embraces people from every culture on earth. From the Roman Empire to the space age, and from Jerusalem and Judea to the ends of the Earth the Gospel is the power of God to save everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16)
But where there are so many different peoples and cultures in the church, there are bound to be differences of opinion and practise. What seems natural and normal in one culture can be highly offensive in another. Even within the same culture, differences of conscience are common.
Whenever a disagreement arises, it’s vitally important to maintain a sense of perspective. Sometimes it really is worth arguing about something, especially if a core matter of principle is at stake. But many disagreements are about things of lesser importance. In these cases, the argument may actually be more damaging than the difference that started it.
In this week’s Roman’s reading, Paul helps us navigate our differences by putting the things that truly matter at the centre; the call to love one another and the righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit which characterise Christ’s Kingdom.
Ed