13. As I grow in my relationship with Jesus, I find that I appreciate those who have different spiritual activities than I do.
(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.)
What do you think about the idea that spiritual maturity can be seen in how we accept others whose ideas and practices are different from our own?
Is there someone you know who truly loves Jesus but has different beliefs and spiritual activities then you have? How does their love for Jesus shape your opinion of them?
Are there members of your family that have different opinions or lifestyles from your own? How does your family connection bridge these differences?
If we imagine that all followers of Jesus are part of the same family, how would this affect your attitude towards those family members who are different from you?
As we grow to love Jesus, it’s interesting how often He introduces us to others who love Him but have a different spirituality than we do. For some people, especially early in their journeys, spiritual growth means an ever-increasing confidence and passion about their beliefs and activities. But another way of looking at spiritual maturity is to see it as an openness to ideas and activities that are different from our own.
Jesus seemed to love diversity. Think of it; Jesus’ disciples were a pretty diverse bunch of guys: fishermen, a tax collector, a revolutionary, and so on. Furthermore, despite the cultural prejudices, there often seemed to be women around Jesus and His disciples. The first person to connect with Jesus after His resurrection was Mary Magdalene. What was it about Mary’s spirituality that was a better fit for the newly resurrected Jesus than the passionate Peter or sentimental John? The point is that those who followed Jesus in his day, were often joined by others unlike them.
We also know that the early Church was known for its diversity and inclusivity of people. It is important for us to know and embrace the fact that our love for Jesus will often draw us into relationships with people whose spirituality is different than ours. As we meet others who love Jesus but connect with Him in different ways than we do, our love for Jesus draws us to those people and helps us appreciate the ways that they meet Jesus. We can suppose that this might be a deliberate part of Jesus’ plan for his followers.
As individuals, we tend to be creatures of habit. We get comfortable and tend to stay in the same place. In doing so, we miss many opportunities to experience Jesus in new and different ways. As our love for Jesus draws us into relationships with others who are different from ourselves, we can discover ways of connecting with Jesus that we might not otherwise know. Even if we don’t choose new ways, as we observe others connecting with Jesus in their own uniqueness, we gain an enlarged understanding of Jesus, we appreciate His greatness, and we see ourselves as part of something much bigger than we thought.
Coming to know and appreciate others whose spirituality is different from our own is an important part of our own journey with Jesus. The additional benefit of embracing others’ way of connecting with Jesus is that it brings about loving communities, diverse but together, unique but appreciating each other.
This was Jesus’ vision for the church that He gave His disciples when He said, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 1 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20-21, NIV).
Being “one” does not mean that we all share the same spirituality rather it means that with diverse ways of connecting with Jesus, we all respect, value and love each other and are joined together by our love for Jesus.