Tolerance

Tolerance—what is it? Is it the same as acceptance? Is it synonymous with open-mindedness? Our society, in my opinion, has become crippled by its understanding of what tolerance means.

Perhaps, we ought to examine what individuals call intolerance. For some, holding a belief strongly equals intolerance. For others, merely expressing your opinion is intolerant.

It seems to me, however, that a strong belief is central to the core of the idea we know has tolerance. In my mind, the concept of tolerance focuses more on how a particular individual’s belief is held than on the belief itself. In a sense, disagreement precedes tolerance. For instance, I cannot tolerate another individual’s belief unless I disagree with that individual’s belief. Our society seems to have confused tolerance with acceptance. Holding a belief or a system of belief’s strongly is not a positive attribute in our society.

How should Christians respond?

Some Christians have embraced mystery to the point that they resist having a theological framework. This fascination has left many flummoxed. Others have responded by building their theological framework even bigger. Others have just completely abandoned all hope and have stopped searching and just do as they please.

The so-called postmodern shift in our society has awakened the desire in many people for beauty, authenticity, and reality. The gospel provides the sole satisfaction of this fundamental desire. The redemptive story is the most beautiful narrative ever. If one follows Christ he or she will have the authenticity that our society craves. The search for reality finds its answer in the reality of Christ and the gospel.

While the gospel is more than mere truth propositions, it is nothing less. Embracing the mystery of the cross without embracing the reality of the cross as proclaimed in the gospel narrative brings us to the brink of heresy. While recognizing the mystery of the cross, we must embrace the truth propositions of the gospel along with the reality of Jesus. Simply, the gospel—accepted, lived, and proclaimed—is the only answer that suffices the otherwise insatiable cravings of the world.