One definition of “agree” is to have the same opinion about something, while “disagree” is to have or express a different opinion about something.
Do you agree or disagree with ending homelessness for good? I myself agree 100% with doing whatever is necessary to end homelessness nationally and internationally.
But is it really possible to set aside irreconcilable differences when so much seems to be at stake in today’s world?
That’s one of the questions the apostle Paul answers in his New Testament letter to the Romans. Writing to readers caught in social, political, and religious conflict, Paul suggests ways of finding common ground even under the most polarized conditions.
According to Paul, we can agree to disagree, in order to work together when it really matters. He said the key is to recall that we will each answer to the Lord, not only for our opinions but also for how we treat one another in our differences.
It is truly a blessing when we can give cheerfully to those in need, and receive cheerfully from those who may have more than they need. Amen!
Nowadays everybody is talking about going hard and no one is talking about God.
Everybody wants to be in control, wants to be a leader but never a follower. But they are lost, with no information or directions when all they have to do is bow down and ask the Lord to be the guide.
Proverbs 3:5-7 says “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”
The Holy Bible also says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Conditions of conflict can actually become occasions to remember that there are some things more important than our own ideas — even more than our interpretations of the Bible.
All of us will answer for whether we have loved one another, even our enemies, as Christ loved us.
Now that I think of it, I remember that I used to talk about how good it is not just to agree to disagree — but to do so with mutual love and respect.
Father, please enable us to be patient and kind with those who don’t agree with us about anything or everything.
We can agree to disagree, in love.
As we continue to delay ending homelessness, and hundreds of thousands of people suffer, I am left feeling like I am the problem and not the solution. I feel like I am revenging and not forgiving. I feel once again that I am dividing and not uniting. I feel like I am disagreeing and not agreeing.
Let us pray for, and work together with love for, an end to homelessness!
Rev. John Littlejohn is an artist and vendor with Street Sense.
