Reading Romans ch14 yesterday, I was really struck by just how much time Paul spends telling us not to sweat the small stuff - like what we eat, whether we use candles /incense, maybe what sex the priest is - because relationships between us are more important than anything else. Who are we to criticise people? Who are we to condemn someone from thinking a different way to us?
I loved 14:7 - "For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves." Who made us the centre of the universe, that it matters so much what we think?! Who are we to be so precious about stuff when the real whole-of-life issue is loving each other - with the self-giving, pouring out of ourselves so we are truly modeled on God the Trinity.
This section really struck me:
"Don’t let your [particular choices] ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16 Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. 17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up."
How we worship, who our priest is, whether someone behaves in a way we don't agree with - these things are not worth ruining people's lives over. Strong stuff.
Listen up, Saints and Sinners! (and yes I do mean you Anglicans on the back row too)
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