A quick message to my friends who toss around the title "Christian."
You know how you hate it when people make up their mind about you?
Return the favor - let go of some of your passionate ideas about them.
We are all impacted by confirmation bias. We develop a belief about a person or situation then seek out information that amplifies that belief. You'll easily find a handful of others who will feed into what you've concluded, so you can then assume you're justified.
Be careful - it's possible for large groups of people or even one other person to keep you from reconciling tension. We all can help one another feel we're justified in being hacked off, and sometimes even feel it's okay because it happens among fellow church attendees who tell us exactly what we want to hear. Meanwhile, all we've done is further the tension and not actually followed Jesus.
Reconciliation, on the other hand?
There is real peace in doing that... ironically even when it's done by yourself.
"If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you... (forgive) not seven times, but seventy-seven times." - Jesus, Matthew 18:15,22
"Nah, Jesus. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. See you this weekend! I'll high-five you on the way into Your house." - the average person
P.S. I've written this after having made space in my heart this past week for people that I need to forgive. They didn't ask for it, and likely never will. Still, it's a done deal and if given the chance one day I'd love to share that with them. Moving on...
