Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Dissing Disagreement

A lot of Christians don't like disagreements. It seems that many have the mentality that unless we all think alike, speak alike & act alike we aren't in true unity. In my opinion when people think, speak & act alike they are in a cult! I love disagreements! In fact, I find it hard to think of anything that has been more affective in my spiritual development than a good disagreement. But I don't just consider disagreements personally helpful, I think they are good & necessary for the body of Christ.

Let's take for example the story in Acts 16 of Paul & Barnabas coming into 'sharp dispute.' The tendency among westerners is to select one side and call it 'right' and the left-over and label it 'wrong.' Well I 'disagree' with THAT! If one insists on categorizing they were both right AND wrong. Barnabas was right to give John-Mark a second chance, but wrong to jeopardize the 2nd Journey. Paul was being a good steward of resources, but wrong to not offer the same degree of grace that he had received from God.

But that's not really the point in my opinion. Too often we think of that dispute from Barnabas' or Paul's perspective, but think of it from John-Mark's perspective. Because there was a disagreement he was able to receive a second chance AND know that his previous mistake had been serious. Think about it, if everyone was like Barnabas, John-Mark may have taken obedience to Christ very lightly. If, on the other hand, everyone was like Paul, John-Mark may have become discouraged and left the faith altogether. It took a disagreement for John-Mark to continue going forward on the narrow path.

10 comments:

Aaron Perry said...

This is a good post, Matt. Disagreement, and we've had our share, is certainly one of the ways that iron is able to sharpen iron. I know that for me part of my identity, unfortunately, is still bound in a framework of "winning" discussions. It's unfortunate because it forsakes the pursuit of truth and chases image. All hte best.

matthew said...

I disagree that this is a good post. I disagree that my name is 'matt'
I disagree that we've disagreed our fair share

All that being said, thanks for the comment :) I, too, struggle with being sometimes too interested in 'winning' an argument.

Aaron Perry said...

you disagree that your name is matt? do you not like that shortening of 'matthew'? if yes, i had no idea and will only call you matthew now.

matthew said...

I do prefer 'matthew,' but i don't get mad either way, haha. Sometimes I forget that tone doesn't come thru on the internet, so I hope you know my previous comment wasn't serious.

What does make me mad, however, is the fact that I couldn't get any tickets to the Sabres/Pens outdoor game b/c they sold out in minutes, seats having been reserved for MAPLE LEAF FANS!?!?!

Aaron Perry said...

huh? what's this about?

matthew said...

They are having an outdoor game b/w the Sabres/Pens on January 1st @ the Bills Stadium. Tickets went on sale this morning at 10am and sold out in minutes (I couldn't get any).

The frustrating part is that certain numbers of tickets were reserved for season ticket holders of the Sabres & pens (that makes sense), but also the Leafs and even Blue Jays! It makes me mad that Leaf & Blue Jays fans had first dibs on a Sabres game before me!

theajthomas said...

I diagree with both of you and have incotrivertable arguments to back up my claim and therefore I am right and I win!!! Which means the only possible option left is that both of you lose because you are wrong and while you look feabkle and weak I look awesome and smart.

That beaing said this was probably the most insightful (as in something I never thought of before and think is useful) post I've read of yours Matthew or as I shall choose to call you in an act of being a bad winner - Rosey.

Kirk said...

I can find nothing to disagree with in this post or these comments. Having never lost an argument I'm not sure what you guys mean about "winning arguments." That has always just been an assumption with me.

theajthomas said...

Oh Kirk - you know what happens when you make assumptions; You make an ass out of u and mption!

PS Consider yourself to have just lost your first argument.

Anonymous said...

ahem! he HAS lost other arguments...