Tolerance

This generation defines tolerance as the capacity for or practice of allowing or respecting the nature, beliefs, or behavior of others. That is from the American Heritage Dictionary, but every publisher has used similar wording for 40 years or more. Culturally, we think of tolerance as putting up with other people and in some sub-cultures as virtually, if not literally, embracing their ways. I certainly agree that respecting another’s ethnicity, dress, personal space, diet, and/or religious disciplines is commendable, and we and our children should do so out of courtesy if for no other reason. Tolerance, however, is not necessarily a character quality of Christ.

Jesus was kind and courteous, loving and on occasion tender. He stood for the underdog. He saw and respected the man and spoke into his life, whether tax collector or community leader, Jew or Samaritan (His disciples later extended to Gentiles – for which I am eternally grateful). But Jesus was not tolerant by today’s cultural definition Tolerance, as we use the term, assumes that there is no absolute – that everything is relative and every life choice equal. But there is Truth, and every life choice is not equal in scope or in consequence. So, while I both practice and teach children to respect the differences of others, it will be in the context of loving them because they are people for whom Christ died, without regard for ethnicity, language, culture, or whether their life choices are similar or contrary to mine.

Neither is zero-tolerance (which throws the baby out with the bath) a character quality of Christ. The only instance of zero-tolerance we find in the life of Jesus is His condemnation of the Pharisees for attributing the work of the Holy Spirit (God) to beelzebub (satan), and no circumstance in human context measures up to this irreverence. Jesus always considered the individual, and his words, deeds, and motives. So must I. Jesus never gave a blanket prescription – just a blanket command: Love God and one another. So, when I interact with the person whose behavior is hurtful, I am not required to endorse the behavior, but I must love and accept the one who manifests the behavior.

Hate the sin, love the sinner. It really is that simple – but it isn’t easy. As difficult as it is, I must love the evil man even while hating his evil deed. The blood that Jesus shed for me on the cross, he shed for the one who injured me, too. It isn’t my job to prevent behavior I dislike or that is hurtful, nor is it my job to punish the one whose behavior I disapprove. My job, as far as I am able, is to never do wrong to anyone else – ever. That is better than tolerance, it’s Jesus.