Here's a couple of silly examples to help explain what I mean. If a group decided to set themselves up as "tall-ites" then they would get a sense of identity from not being small. The in-group is tall people, the out-group is small people.
If introverts decided to form a club (ha! we know they wouldn't!) then they would have a sense of identity by comparing themselves to extraverts. We're not like these brash, in your face, talk-lots-listen-little folk.
But here's my problem. I am an inch and a half smaller than the average height. Does this make me a "small-ite"? I like people, but have a slight leaning towards introversion. Does this mean I belong to the introvert group?
And now here's my real issue. Some people in the church call themselves liberal, and they will talk a lot about how they disagree with fundamentalists (or literalists or conservative evangelicals or whatever). Others call themselves conservative evangelicals and will talk about how they are standing up against liberals.
But what of those of us who are neither far left nor far right? Do we have to take sides? The extremists would say yes. Which is why we must put a case forward for a third way. Perhaps it doesn't need a name, or perhaps we call it moderates or something similar.
I want to belong to a group of people that allow diversity, encourage discussion and debate, but never at the expense of love. I might have a different view from you, but that doesn't mean we have to have opposing positions. We can share a middle ground position, even if we have very different views.
As the Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 14:
"So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgement seat of God. For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.’”
Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall."
Only then will those outside the church look in and see a love that conquers all and begin to be attracted to that community and the message it has to share.
God bless you
