Tolerance and Community

Dr. Gary Nelson


Be Tolerant With One Another...

IMG_1961 by you.
IMG_1961 by you.


"...there is no longer any distinction between Gentiles and Jews, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarians, savages, slaves, and free, but Christ is all, Christ is in all. You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with one another..." (Colossians 3:11-13)

Okay, so it's easy to notice our differences, but then what do we do with them? Paul made that pretty clear in his letter to early Christians in Colossae. We are to treat each other with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience in an effort to be truly tolerant with one another.

As I've been saying recently, it's not so much which side of the issue you're on, but how you treat each other in the debate that will make the difference between community building and community destruction.

Most of you know that this past December our daughter suffered a heart attack while she was visiting us from Maine. Since she was in the intensive care unit I had to do the communicating with her health insurance company. I will never forget the tears of joy that streamed down her face the day after her heart attack when I was able to go into the intensive care unit and tell her that this medical crisis would not result in financial disaster. She had very good health insurance. I'm sure the relief from my telling her that her health insurance was going to cover the crisis aided in her recovery.

Affordable health is a critical need for all Americans. I pray that as we and our leaders discuss this and come to some decision we will do so in such a way that we will build up our community rather than contribute to its destruction by our intolerance of one another.

Blessings and Peace,
Pastor Gary

(PS --- This is not a "digitally doctored" photo.)

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