Tolerance
- Paul Goeke
- Aug 25, 2008
So I've heard about tolerance a lot lately. And if I've studied my afternoon talk shows correctly, I think tolerance is a good thing...right?
It is good to be tolerated...right? After all, how dreamy would it be for my wife to walk up behind me, put her arms around my waist, nuzzle in and gently kiss my neck before saying, "I don't tell you this enough, but I really want you to know, I tolerate you now more than ever before."
Really? How about this: Forget tolerance, try love. Don't tolerate people, love them. Don't silently endure someone despite the fact that you are inwardly disgusted with them (which is what tolerance usually amounts to). Love them. Serve them. Consider them better than yourself (Philippians 2:3). Oh, they are really mean to you and offend you? Pray for them (Matthew 5:44). Oh, they come from a different religious background? Be their friend. Guess what, you'll probably actually enjoy hanging out with them - one of the guys who I most like to hang out with describes himself regularly as a "godless pagan."
Tolerance means that someone will be nice to your face, but will walk away thinking that you are close-minded, unenlightened, and more than a little stupid. Love means that someone will do life with you, serve you, and have honest, frank discussions with you. Some of the people who love me most have been very intolerant of things I've done. If they simply tolerated me, they would have been silent (the dictionary says tolerate means to "allow...without hindrance, to put up with"). But because they loved me, they continued to do life with me and walk beside me.
Seriously, tolerance is stupid. No one wants to be tolerated. Try doing life with them. Try being a friend to them. Try serving them. Try loving them.