{"id":1305,"date":"2022-01-12T08:36:34","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T13:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/js1cd06kre.onrocket.site\/?p=1305"},"modified":"2022-01-12T08:36:34","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T13:36:34","slug":"we-can-both-be-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/12\/we-can-both-be-right\/","title":{"rendered":"We Can Both Be Right"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Beef<\/em>: It\u2019s What\u2019s for Dinner.<\/em>

That memorable 1992 commercial slogan \u2013 which promoted \u201cbeef as a part of a healthy diet\u201d \u2013 is still recognized by more than 80% of Americans.

If you think that controversies concerning the eating of red meat are only a few decades old, check out the New Testament book of Romans.  The apostle Paul\u2019s letter to the fledging group of Christ-followers in the city of Rome had to tackle an incredibly divisive issue.

The dispute concerned meat that was purchased at the city market. 

When cows were driven into town, some were taken directly to the butcher.  Others were routed up the steps of one of Rome\u2019s dozens of temples, where they were slaughtered as sacrifices to idols. 

The meat of both kinds of cows ended up for sale on the same counter, and there wasn\u2019t any plastic wrap that warned the spiritually sensitive shopper which rump roast had been part of a pagan ritual earlier that day.

Therefore some of Paul\u2019s readers had concluded that they would never eat meat again as long as they lived \u2013 they would be vegetarians of conscience \u2013 because they could never be sure whether a particular cut of meat had been in one of those temples. 

Other believers were saying, \u201cAre you nuts?  We\u2019re not going to give up barbecue just because some priest mumbled a few words over the brisket.  God provides everything for us to enjoy.\u201d 

Both sides believed they were right.  Both sides believed that the other side was outrageously wrong.

Look how Paul referees this issue in Romans 14:3: \u201cThe person who eats everything must not look down on the person who does not, and the person who does not eat everything must not condemn the person who does.\u201d  Why?  \u201cFor God has accepted him.\u201d

Paul is saying that whatever is on your dinner table isn\u2019t going to make or break your relationship with God.  Two verses later, he adds this: \u201cOne person considers one day more sacred than another; another person considers every day alike.  Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.\u201d 

One of the Bible\u2019s best-kept secrets is its teaching that there are a number of issues \u2013 issues that are not central to Christian theology or ethics \u2013 where I can think one thing, and you can think just the opposite, and we can both be right and blessed by God. <\/em>

We can both be right about whether drums and guitars should be \u201cin\u201d or \u201cout\u201d at worship.  We can take genuinely different approaches to \u201cgood parenting,\u201d and both end up raising healthy kids.  We can come to different conclusions about the age of the earth, whether gambling is spiritually corrosive, and whether or not someone who loves God should feel free to relax with a cold beer. 

So what do we do when we when have such disagreements?  We choose to do what God does:  We accept each other<\/em>.

The word \u201caccept\u201d comes from the Latin words ad capere<\/em>, which means, \u201cto take to oneself.\u201d  Strange as it may seem, offering acceptance to another human being is actually a form of receiving. 

If I accept you, it doesn\u2019t mean that I agree with all of your opinions about every subject.  It does mean that I welcome you into my circle of care and concern.  I take you and your interests \u2013 even though you think differently \u2013 to myself. 

All too often that spirit is nowhere to be found. 

Christian circles can be tainted by a winner-takes-all mentality.  God wants me to come out on top because God has assured me that I am right.  And that means it\u2019s time for you to get in line with the truth \u2013 which means coming around to my way of seeing things.

Paul, to his everlasting credit, is having none of it. 

He wraps things up in Romans 14:13: \u201cTherefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another.  Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother or sister\u2019s way.\u201d

It\u2019s time to ditch the I\u2019m-right-and-I-know-it attitude when it comes to non-essential matters. 

Like the Christians in Rome, we can learn that beef may indeed be for dinner \u2013 or not<\/em> \u2013 and it can still end up being a great party.
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Beef: It\u2019s What\u2019s for Dinner. That memorable 1992 commercial slogan \u2013 which promoted \u201cbeef as a part of a healthy diet\u201d \u2013 is still recognized by more than 80% of Americans. If you think that controversies concerning the eating of red meat are only a few decades old, check out the New Testament book of Romans.  The apostle Paul\u2019s letter… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1306,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[381],"class_list":["post-1305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-acceptance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1305"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1305\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1307,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1305\/revisions\/1307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}