Be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other. – Colossians 3:13 (CEB)
I finally made it to the swimming pool last week. I had not had a chance to go swimming all summer. There’s nothing like dipping in the water on a warm day. What can beat throwing a ball around in the pool and doing a little swimming in the deep end? It doesn’t really matter what you do in the water, the point is enjoying being in it. It does not make much difference whether you use a backstroke or breast stroke when the goal is to bask in the summer day.
How easily, though, we can fall into arguments over which stroke to use. I do not mean we literally complain about someone using the breast stroke when we think they should use a backstroke, but I do think we find the equivalent whenever there is a group of people in general and in churches more specifically. As a church, our call is to bask in God’s grace. Certainly that entails things like reaching out to others to share the good news and to work together for justice. It also entails having structures to make sure that things run. It is not too different from tossing a ball around in the pool and then taking a swim in the deep end. You make some decisions on what you are going to do – are there rules for throwing the ball like a game or is it just toss, which stroke to use – but those decisions are secondary to the main goal of enjoying the pool or living boldly and joyously in God’s grace. Yet most of the disagreements come on these secondary things. We all agree that we want to enjoy the pool/live as God’s people, but the secondary details are what cause us to complain.
Please note that I am not talking about any particular incident, or even St. Matthew particularly. It is true of every congregation that has ever existed. It is the nature of living as a community. We rub up against each other, go about things in different ways, step on each others’ toes. The New Testament is full of advice to bear with each other in these secondary differences, remembering our unity in the biggest thing, our new life in Christ. That’s because such differences are part of being in community with others. The Colossians verse above is one of those reminders. Don’t split over every little difference; practice giving and receiving forgiveness and see the bigger picture. Keep together in our calling and mission, and be tolerant with one another as we do our best to get there. It is not ever easy, and it goes against much of what we see being practiced around us. Yet practicing a community practice of love and forgiveness for one another is the path to basking in the joy of life in Christ.