The word "tolerance" has been all but deified by our current culture, and the parameters of the definition remain somewhat of a mystery.
Be that as it may, there are many occasions where intolerance represents the greater love for our fellow human being.
The latter is dramatically brought to light in the gospels, where Jesus meets a rich young man who has, to all appearances, led an exemplary life.
In the Gospel of Mark, the man is described as running up to and kneeling before Christ.
There is an earnestness to his actions as he asks the question: "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" After Jesus reminds the young man that God alone is good, He then goes through a list of God's commandments.
The kneeling man, certainly with some hope stirring in his chest, responds "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.
" Under the authority of tolerance, here is where the story should end.
Not only did the young man give the perfect answer, but even a less than perfect answer should have been respected by Christ.
The inviolable principle is the autonomy of the young man's moral beliefs.
"Jesus, looking at him, loved him.
" Clearly Jesus is pursuing something deeper and more meaningful than temporary good feelings and false affirmation.
Love carries with it a desire for wholeness, truth, and realness that form the source of lasting joy.
Looking into the very soul of this man, Christ spotted the one thing he needed, the one barrier holding back peace.
To have surrendered to tolerance would have been an act of hate.
Then came the truth like a surgeon's knife: "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own...
" The wealthy young man was devastated.
In spite of all his discipline, the path to salvation was much more difficult than he imagined.
He wanders away from Jesus and disappears from scripture, though a poignant parable is drawn from the encounter.
Whatever inner restlessness brought him to kneel before the "Good Teacher" would not be solved that day or any time soon.
We do not know what became of this earnest man, but can be sure his life was forever changed.
Love could not tolerate the chains binding his soul, and offered a key to freedom.
The road less traveled - call it grace, folly, even the offense of the cross - awaited his footsteps.
Be that as it may, there are many occasions where intolerance represents the greater love for our fellow human being.
The latter is dramatically brought to light in the gospels, where Jesus meets a rich young man who has, to all appearances, led an exemplary life.
In the Gospel of Mark, the man is described as running up to and kneeling before Christ.
There is an earnestness to his actions as he asks the question: "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" After Jesus reminds the young man that God alone is good, He then goes through a list of God's commandments.
The kneeling man, certainly with some hope stirring in his chest, responds "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.
" Under the authority of tolerance, here is where the story should end.
Not only did the young man give the perfect answer, but even a less than perfect answer should have been respected by Christ.
The inviolable principle is the autonomy of the young man's moral beliefs.
"Jesus, looking at him, loved him.
" Clearly Jesus is pursuing something deeper and more meaningful than temporary good feelings and false affirmation.
Love carries with it a desire for wholeness, truth, and realness that form the source of lasting joy.
Looking into the very soul of this man, Christ spotted the one thing he needed, the one barrier holding back peace.
To have surrendered to tolerance would have been an act of hate.
Then came the truth like a surgeon's knife: "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own...
" The wealthy young man was devastated.
In spite of all his discipline, the path to salvation was much more difficult than he imagined.
He wanders away from Jesus and disappears from scripture, though a poignant parable is drawn from the encounter.
Whatever inner restlessness brought him to kneel before the "Good Teacher" would not be solved that day or any time soon.
We do not know what became of this earnest man, but can be sure his life was forever changed.
Love could not tolerate the chains binding his soul, and offered a key to freedom.
The road less traveled - call it grace, folly, even the offense of the cross - awaited his footsteps.