Constructive Dissent
Constructive dissent. You know, it’s not a sin to disagree with a church. I think you’ll find much of Jesus’ ministry aimed at taking issue with the Church in His day. Instead, it is our reaction to that dissenting view and how we choose to express it that may be sinful. To the Christian and the non-Christian, how do/have we presented our view?
The church is flawed. Both your local and the global churches are deeply flawed. Why? Because each is comprised of several messed up and imperfect people. Together, these people are trying to lead others, work out their own and walk together with some in their exploration of faith. This is the deepest, most sensitive part of a man and when you have several people pursuing this sort of exploration in close proximity, things are bound to get messy. And they have for many, many years. This is the way the Church has always been and must be until the return of Jesus.
Our response doesn’t have to be. Any idiot can fling mud in the face of another. A monkey can fling poop at just about anything. However, it takes a person of fortitude to stick around and help enact change. It takes a real person to explain to others, listen and come to an understanding.
The choice is ours. We can sit around grumbling, mocking, etc. Or, we can become the solution. We sit around waiting for others to do their jobs or we can do our own. Whether you are a churchgoer or not, this question is for us all. When we disagree, do we simply tear down or do we offer constructive dissent?