I was at my computer feverishly working on a manuscript on Jesus and women recently when there was a knock on my door. I opened to a man and woman on my porch, he in a white shirt and tie, and she in a skirt and blouse. Missionaries? Yes. But not the ones I see in my congregation on Sunday. It was a father and daughter team, Jehovah’s Witnesses, come to share with me a pamphlet and their testimonies of Jesus Christ. I was so pleased to see them and told them how much I admired them for taking time on a Saturday to go door to door and share with others their testimonies of the Savior.
We had a delightful conversation about Jesus Christ — our mutual love for him as Son of God and Savior of the world. We talked of the need today for more people to speak up and bear testimony of Jesus Christ. We shared our mutual belief that the Savior’s teachings are desperately needed in today’s world. We talked about the magnificence of the Bible as God’s word and the need to feast regularly on its teachings.
We talked about the wonderful role models that readers find in the Old and New Testaments. We talked about the different versions of the Bible we enjoy and various commentaries that have greatly improved our understanding of the scriptures. We talked about prayer, prophets, loving, serving and helping others.
When the conversation turned to Christians today, I mentioned there are people in the world who are deeply antagonistic to Christian beliefs and it makes no sense to me — in fact, it is heartbreaking — to see sniping and in-fighting, and attacks by Christians on other Christians. Not all Christians, but some, do this — when there is already organized opposition to and there are significant challenges facing Christians in the world. If ever there was a time when Christians need to join together in sharing their faith in Jesus Christ, it is now.
I am secure and convicted in my beliefs, but I have no animus against those with theological differences, nor with “truth” claims by one or another Christian denomination. I know we won’t, we don’t need to, agree on every point of doctrine. Yet we certainly should, and can, respect and applaud each other’s profession of love for the Savior and attempts to emulate Jesus’ life and live his teachings … struggling, weak, perfidious humans that we often are.
I was inspired and uplifted by the message the good people at my door left with me on that Saturday and felt a kinship with them long after they departed. Truth be told, it is indefensible to mock or malign fellow Christians. In his short time on Earth, and even shorter time in public ministry, the heart and soul of the Savior’s message was not just that Christians love fellow Christians but that human beings love fellow human beings. Period. How sad, how terribly sad, when that message is often out-shouted, overshadowed or subsumed by angry, hateful, argumentative voices in the world today.
True Christians will abide the Savior’s teaching, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). As Jesus’ Beloved apostle, John, taught, “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another (1 John 3:11). The Good News Translation of the Bible provides this translation of Jesus’ words as God of the Old Testament, “Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them, but love your neighbors as you love yourself. I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:18).
The Savior’s apostles perpetuated his message after his death:
· “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8, KJV)
· “My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.” (1 John 3:18, GNT)
· “Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another.” (Ephesians 4:2, NIV)
· “Love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8-9, NIV)
For heaven’s sake — an intentional play on words — we do not need to always agree with one another. We can agree to lovingly disagree. Indeed, as good Christians, we are obligated to love and respect one another. This was the Savior’s message. It has not changed. And his message, put into action, has the power to change the world.
Kristine Frederickson writes on topics that affect members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worldwide. She teaches part time at BYU. Her views are her own.
Email: kfrederickson.desnews@gmail.com