= < love, love > =

The IllusrationFriday.com challenge word this week was equality. It’s a good word, an awesome word, something we should strive for… but there’s something better.

I miss tolerance. You see I believe tolerance has been redefined. Tolerance used to mean you and I could disagree, maybe even vehemently, on issues and still be friends, still respect each other, still hold each other in high esteem, dare I say, still love each other? Somehow tolerance has come to mean total compliance, essentially I have to agree with everything you say, think, believe and do. That is essentially the opposite of tolerance and I can’t believe no one sees the hypocrisy. Tolerance has become a one way street, resistance is futile.

Tolerance is seen as the greatest of virtues in our society and that’s a shame because tolerance is a bare minimum. If I would say I tolerate my wife, you would think my marriage is in deep trouble and you would be right. We haven’t stayed together for 25 years because we tolerate each other. Oh I have behaviors she tolerates no doubt and no doubt there are a few she can’t tolerate. We haven’t stayed married because we tolerate each other, we tolerate each other because of something greater.

Jesus commanded his followers to love their friends, their neighbors, their families and even their enemies (the people they can’t tolerate at all). In other words “love everybody.” He said, “A new command I give you, love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.” You and I will not always agree. You may have beliefs, thoughts and actions I have a hard time tolerating and vice versa, I’m called to love you anyway. Love is greater than tolerance and equality and pretty much everything else. My faith demands love. My scripture says “God is love.” To me, being tolerated is nowhere near enough.

I want to be loved and so I strive to love.