We are citizens of the United States, a Constitutional democracy. Our Constitution is a social contract that all of us, whatever our faith, will tolerate each other though we may hate each other. Too many of us tolerate people we also slander and secretly despise. “Thou shalt tolerate,” possibly our only moral absolute, supports the social contract, thereby restraining Americans from another bloody civil war.
At the same time and more importantly, members of Christ’s body, also maintain citizenship in heaven, acknowledging Jesus as Lord over the powers, including the governmental authorities. As the Body of the Christ who died for all humankind we are called to love and respect everybody without exception. We press into who Jesus is as our Lord in order to bless our enemies, praying for the Spirit’s compassion and for courage of conviction. Within this love for the stranger and the enemy is a tolerance of their beliefs and actions.
As citizens of a constitutional democracy as well as citizens of heaven Jesus disciples do practice a public social and legal tolerance toward beliefs and practices that conflict with Christian convictions. This means we will live in tension with the powers while seeking, as far as possible, to live at peace with all men. We will not harass or harm in any way those who disagree with us and we will never seek to forcibly impose our will on those who do not confess Jesus.
We socially tolerate the state’s refusal to interfere with the private consensual sex of adults. We respect the rights of fellow citizens of this democracy to engage in such behaviors though we do not socially approve of such behavior. Social approval would compel me to approve of what my worldview disapproves. We also refuse to socially approve of last years Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage while socially tolerating the legal changes. In return we expect our non Christian fellow citizens to socially tolerate us while not socially approving of our behavior and convictions.
We practice a social and legal tolerance, but we do not practice an intellectual tolerance that declares true what we know to be false. G. K. Chesterton famously said “Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of having an open mind, like an open mouth is to shut it again on something solid.” So we practice discernment and critical thinking as we live in the world and the church.
Neither do we adopt a moral tolerance in which we abandon our own convictions. Nor do we adopt a spiritual tolerance in which we disregard all of our spiritual loyalties and convictions at the altar of tolerance. Compassion and conviction characterize us all the time.
Christopher Hitchens, along with Richard Dawkins, was the most vocal public spokesman for atheism in the west until his death from cancer in 2011. Hitchens mocked Christian faith on a regular basis. Hitchens got a huge amount of hate mail from Christians in 2010-2011, celebrating his cancer!
Francis Collins, a noted Christian and a scientist specializing in genetics reached out to Hitchens and his family during the last years of his life. The media did not trumpet what Hitchens said about Collins at the end of Hitchens life. Yet Hitchens privately referred to Collins as “one of the greatest living Americans. Our most selfless Christian physician. I know Francis from public and private debates. But also from his visits to me on his own time when he discussed for hours possible treatments for my cancer.” Hitchens received from Collins and from Jesus through Collins “the quiet service of love.” Collins was heeding Hebrews 12:15, “See to it that no one misses the grace of God. “
Collins did not tolerate Hitchens with a hateful heart. He loved Hitchens with the love of Christ. Clearly, this love blessed “Hitch” and pointed him toward Jesus as he walked without faith into the jaws of death.