Pastor, Peabody Bible Church
I dislike, I mean my friend, dislikes winter, especially whenever the snow causes someone to say “Oh, it’s soooo pretty.” He wants to tell them to go stand in the freezing white scourge and lick a flagpole. Shame on me, I mean, him.
Then comes spring — the grass greens, trees bud, flowers open, warm breezes blow, and I, I mean my friend, says, “It’s soooo pretty. I’ll open the windows in the house.”
Suddenly sneezes echo inside the house. They start loud then become muffled. They’re followed by the sound of windows being shut.
I, I mean, he turns to see the runny red eyes and nose of his wife, I mean, of someone he knows, who is under an all-out hay fever assault. Her mouth moves and he’s sure she just mumbled, “How long until it freezes again?” as she looks at the depleted box of tissues in her hands, turns, and disappears from view.
Then I remember, I mean he remembers that he’s not the only person on the planet. He realizes that different people enjoy different seasons in different ways. And something is not wrong because it’s different.
Friends, that truth applies to the church. Some people like old hymns, others prefer new songs, and some like both. Some like chairs, others like pews. Some like “this” and other favor “that.”
In matters of opinion, let’s be guided by mutual respect.
After all, the church belongs to God and He expects us to love one another — in spite of our differences of opinion.
Where the Bible speaks, let us stand strong; but what matters of opinion exist, let us love long.