I’m intolerant of tolerance. If ingested, tolerance becomes a parasite that attaches to a soul and devours excellence and replaces it with “whatever. “ Then the infected one, like a vampire, attacks others, drinks their life blood, and infects them also. Eventually, this results in a land in which Tolerance is king. In the land, the people believe nothing without reservation, never act with conviction, and withhold commitment to anything but tolerance. There is no honor, because nothing but tolerance is worthy of honor and tolerance forbids anyone achieving individual excellence. The best anyone can hope for is to be tolerated.

I will not live in that land. I have no desire to be tolerated by God, or others. The land I would choose is the Kingdom of God. Only in the Kingdom, can I be forgiven, loved, and then received without reservation, and then, over time, be able to better imitate Christ as the places in which I fail and fall short are lovingly pointed out so I can attempt, with the grace of God, and the support of friends and family, to act more in accordance with God’s ways. I will then attempt to give others the forgiveness given me and encourage excellence in virtue and accomplishment

All this came from reading the newspaper. Recently, as I read the letters to the editor, a writer described what he considered to be the faith’s main two points. The context was a “hot button” issue to which the Biblical perspective was offensive to the writer. He spoke about love and tolerance as he responded to a previous letter in which Biblical standards was strongly endorsed. I found myself troubled by every aspect of the written dialogue and began meditating about it.

First, the “tolerant’ writer seemed offended by the apparent self-righteousness of the “Christian.” Jesus spoke about the foolishness of trying to remove a speck in another’s eye when your own has a stick in it. Proclaiming Truth with self-righteousness seriously taints the message. Although I accept Biblical teaching about “normal” actions that God calls sin, it seems that I must take the perspective that the most abhorrent sin to God is my sin. This is the heart of humility and God says He resists the proud. Those outside the grace of God will resist me also if I don’t approach them as fellow sinners with the same need of forgiveness as I have. But having a speck in your eye or my stick in mine is not acceptable. Both must be removed. God is not tolerant of my sin or theirs. The goal is forgiveness, not tolerance.

Secondly, what human actions define our beliefs? Faith in God? Of course! Hope in His promises? Without reservation! Love for God and those around us? Without love, all other words and actions are meaningless! But what is even more foundational? What must come first, before absolutely anything else? The answer is found in Acts 2 as the Church is established. God has done miracles to get everyone’s attention. Peter then uses the opportunity to speak about Jesus and the people’s sin. Join the story in progress:

“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Repentance is the first step. To repent means to change direction. I, we, always go in the wrong direction without God’s help. My proclivities are indefensible and so are yours. They take us away from God. Repentance and forgiveness are the only way to access the promises of Christ. He loves us in spite of sin; He never tolerates us. And He commands us to do likewise to others. Tolerance removes the need for forgiveness and so removes us from the possibility of ever following after God. It replaces truth and life with a human platitude. Not a good trade, if you ask me.

What’s your earliest memory? Was it something seemingly insignificant, but important to you? For me, one those memories was being carried on my father’s shoulders as he walked under a viaduct as water overflowed on us. It was the excitement of something fearfully different tempered by the security of being carried by my father. For less than an instant, I can be that little boy again, safe and excited with my Daddy. The house for our hearts is built with our memories.

My father enjoyed sharing an early memory of a life lesson learned well. He spoke of being small, still in a high chair as his mother, my grandmother, was working in the kitchen. He was old enough to be “potty trained” but young enough that he didn’t always find it convenient to use what he knew. So he sat in the high chair and chose the easier way when need arose to clear his bowels. He expected his mother to clean him up, as she had done so many times before. But my grandmother, the wise woman that she was, decided to not respond quickly to his calls. It was time—past time for intentional immaturity to be allowed. So she left him sitting in the mess he had made. He learned. He remembered both the lesson and the words he spoke: “It don’t sit good!” Discomfort was the exact motivation that he needed.

For my purposes, I’d like to distinguish between comfortable and comfort. In our common usage, giving comfort has to do with helping someone in distress. Holding a child who has been hurt is giving comfort. Making comfortable is fluffing the child’s pillow and giving the favorite stuffed toy at bedtime. A good parent gives comfort but sometimes chooses to make the child uncomfortable. Discontent from discomfort can motivate very well indeed.

There is godly discontent. There is a time to move forward when it would be more comfortable to stay as we have been. Being comfortable can be a greater obstacle to following God than Satan. In the past couple of years, my income has become a third of what it had been as a result of these difficult economic times. I wasn’t highly paid before, but I felt comfortable. As I’ve prayed and done the things that seemed appropriate, I’ve seen that my main motivation has been seeking to be comfortable again.

For me, the next step of maturity is trusting God differently. Previously, I would ask for a job that I could do with excellence and that would provide appropriately. That’s good, but not the best. Depending on God depends on perceiving that I am irrevocably needy. If I am comfortable, I won’t be aware that I need God and will not pray as if I did.

But Jesus spoke about our asking for our daily bread. I understand that to be an ongoing dependence for every need. In Biblical times, if God didn’t provide and protect, than hunger would be the main course. Hard work in the fields could be undone in a moment from a storm and it wouldn’t be an inconvenience, it would be a famine. Now, our technological sophistication, intended to provide for us, has become a padded room encasing us, protecting us from needing God.

I was comfortable. Need has made me uncomfortable. The Father offered comfort, reminding me of His promises. But I still demanded to be comfortable, to not live desperately needing God. So I sit in the mess of demands I’ve made. So my father’s words come to mind. “It don’t sit good.” And The Father’s words also come to mind, giving uncomfortable comfort: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."