“Brandon is such a scum bag! He’s an Amerikanets, and a Calvinist, and is prejudice against Russians because he is critical of some of our backwoods conservative religious traditions He’s arrogant, egotistical, and condescending. Every time that guy writes something on Facebook I just want to reach out from my computer and slap him in the face!”.
“Man, Yuriy gets on my nerves. He always talks about how he grew up in the Slavic Church, and how because of that, he is now an expert on everything that is wrong with Slavic Christians. He’s always asking tough questions and demanding thorough answers. That guy’s a liberal! A bottom feeder, confusing honest believers and leading them astray.”
For some reason, I think I have managed to grab your attention. Why is it that of all people in the world, people who identify themselves as being Christian cannot find legitimate ways of getting along with fellow Christians? As long as humanity has been fallen in sin, humanity has failed to be at peace. This is a simple fact of life. Christians are not exempt from this reality (though they aren’t slaves to it either).
But why do Christians act like the world when it comes to how we get along with others?Christians have to make a conscious effort to improve their situation. I want to provide 5 practical ideas on how Christians can treat each other better. I am not an expert on this topic and stand to benefit from my own advice as much as you do. However, regardless of my own imperfections, I still feel passionate about putting my ideas out there for you to consider and genuinely think that if every Christian were to embrace these ideas, God would use them to expand His Kingdom and magnify His Glory!
1) Lets face it, no one else in this world thinks exactly like you do. While there may be people out there who have similar personalities, hobbies, interests, skills, abilities, and gifts, they aren’t 100% like you and you aren’t 100% like them. You are different than everyone else in the world, and everyone else in the world is different than you. You should go into every conversation with a conscious understanding of this fact.
2) It is our differences that make us special. Dima is a Calvinist? George believes in infant baptism? Karina speaks in tongues? Marina is interested in different theories regarding the timeline of creation in Genesis 1? Sergey likes Eastern Orthodox liturgy? Moses likes “liberal scholars” ? Lori believes there will be dogs and cats in heaven? So what? Are they “lesser” Christians because they don’t do things the same way you do? Are they “sheep in wolves clothing” because they aren’t you? If that is the case, Jesus is a sheep in wolves clothing too, because He isn’t you either nor did He do things exactly the way you do them. All of the people mentioned above could be part of the body of Christ if they embrace the fundamental truths of the faith. Don’t forget that next time you find yourself bickering with someone on the internet especially. You might just have to live next to that person in heaven for all of eternity 🙂
3) There are cultural barriers between people, and it’s best to be patient with each other especially during a misunderstanding. One dude comes from a Slavic background and is used to a traditional conservative service with a choir, no clapping, no theatrics, and a very somber atmosphere. Another dude is a 4th generation American and prefers a hipster pastor decked out in jeans and a V neck, screaming from the pulpit, and rocking out to electric guitar during the worship portion of the service. Can both be Christian despite their differences? Yes! All people in the world are sinners. We all struggle with xenophobia (fear of the unknown) to some extent. You are xenophobic whether you want to admit it or not. Instead of being prejudice against those who are different from you, find ways to get along with one another. Put your effort into loving each other.
4) It isn’t wrong to have discussions about our differences but is wrong to think you are superior to everyone who doesn’t do it your way. I’m speaking from my own experience here. Something about dialogue over the internet can bring out the worst in people. People say things online that they wouldn’t dare say to your face. Why? Because they can hide behind their computer monitor, or even say “it wasn’t me” when confronted face to face. I have been guilty of this on many occasions. I have foolishly picked battles with people online over topics ranging from Calvinism, speaking in tongues, politics, end times theology, and many other issues that aren’t really even crucial in the grand scheme of things. It is easy to do this. Pride is usually at the root of this. If you find yourself doing this often, you very well may be a very prideful person.
5) I don’t care who you are or what your objective is on social media, you need to take a break from social media from time to time. Take a weekend off. Take a week off. Take a month off. Whatever the case, take some time off of social media. If you find yourself getting into a lot of arguments over religion, politics, sports, etc, now especially is a good time to take a break and then come back on with a cooler head. Some people like to go to the gym to relieve stress. Others like to come on the internet and take their frustrations out on people. Internet bullying is what I call it. If you find yourself being mean to people online, you should take a break from the internet and come back with a cooler head.
Listen, I’m not advocating for some hippy movement where everyone gets together and holds hands singing kumbaya. Instead, I’m advocating for a Christianity where people embrace the biblical teachings of Jesus that command the Christian to “love your neighbor as yourself” despite our differences. Imagine what the world would look like if this happened?
The Religious Nerd 