Necessary
Differences
By Susan Klein
“One man regards one day above another,
another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own
mind.”
Romans
14:5 (NASB)
In the current historical drama Lee Daniel’s The Butler, a father and his adult son become estranged
due to their different stances in the heat of the civil rights movement. The
father, born and raised on a cotton plantation, leaves home seeking employment
elswhere as a butler. Eventually, he is invited to work in the White House,
faithfully serving several U.S. presidents over time. The elder son heads off
to Fisk College where he becomes involved in sit-ins and peaceful
demonstrations, hoping to affect change in the racially tense climate that
exists. When the son is arrested, his father tries to discourage further
involvement, fearing for his safety and disapproving of his methods. The son is
only driven deeper by his passion for change and eventually joins the Black
Panther Militia. Without giving away all of the movie, suffice it to say that
these actions drive a wedge between the two of them and the father cuts off all
contact.
This type of scenario has been common to man throughout history.
Differences of opinion lead to divisions in families and separate the closest
of friends. Political and religious differences seem to invoke the most
estrangement. Experiencing this firsthand with his coworker Barnabas, the
Apostle Paul addresses the issue in his letter to the Roman believers, who seem
to be struggling with each other’s spiritual peculiarities. He makes the point
that each believer is at a different place in his or her spiritual walk, and
that not all should expect to behave in the same manner. Depending upon
cultures, personal histories and spiritual maturity, all hold to their own set
of standards for behavior. Paul exhorts that it is not for one to pass judgment
on the other, but to be convicted of one’s own beliefs and act accordingly.
God knows better than we do what qualities each of us needs. He
created all His children with unique abilities and talents “to do the good works He prepared in advance
for us to do” (Ephesians
2:10, NIV). He has a divine purpose for each individual. Rather than
focusing on our differences, we ought to celebrate each other’s uniqueness and
acknowlege the wisdom of the Creator in His choices of how He gifts each one of
us for His service.
Not until the father in the movie is quite old does he realize
that he and his son really had the same passion for change. Each just had their
own unique way of displaying it. (It has a happy ending!)
GOING
DEEPER:
How
might personal differences be causing strife in any of your relationships?
Can
you trust God’s working in those differences?
FURTHER
READING:
Susan is a We Women
Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She and her husband Mark enjoy
tutoring and working with inner-city youth.
