Drawing Circles

I think our culture is hurting from drawing circles. Left alone circles are not a serious problem. However, once you step inside and start drawing them you can't stop. Pretty soon no one else can fit in the circle except for the person drawing. A circle mentality to life inevitably excludes others. People draw all kinds of circles: racial, economic, gender related, faith-based, ethnic, education, geographic and much more.

The term fundamentalism didn't really take hold until the early-20th Century in connection with a major theological schism in the Presbyterian Church. Over time, the term spread to include other Christian denominations and the term was loosely applied to describe those who held conservative views in the conservative-liberal debate among Christ-followers. However, the term fundamentalism can be applied to just about anything or anyone today who holds extreme views and seeks to exclude those who don't. Fundamentalism eventually leads to drawing circles, which I would term extreme fundamentalism.

There are Jewish fundamentalists, Christian fundamentalists and Islamic fundamentalists. There are also homosexual, feminine, national, political, racial, and even electronic fundamentalists. The latter for example, holds a high disdain for anyone who can't or won't communicate strictly through electronic means like email, Face book, a Blackberry, texting, etc.

There's nothing wrong with being passionate about your faith, political, cultural views, college team, etc. However, it should never be a license to punish, assassinate character, or physically harm those who do not share the same view. There's another circle drawn. Take politics for example. I live in a county with a strong Republican majority. I have heard many well-meaning people who even profess to follow Christ offer strong words of judgment and condemnation toward anyone supporting or voting for a Democratic candidate. Many of the comments I've heard were even racial, or sexist. Major circle just drawn. The last time I checked, neither of America's major political parties are in the Bible, or endorsed by Jesus. Easy this is just one example and not a blog on politics, I blogged about that during the Fall elections.

You can apply this to college teams, neighborhoods, social issues like health care, abortion, private v.s. public education, tattoos, dress, and on and on. We keep drawing circles (notice the one with the marker determines what's right, wrong, good, bad, etc.) and pretty soon we've excluded everyone. Someone hurts or offends us and we draw a circle. Someone disagrees with us and we draw a circle. I'm not saying we have to adopt or even accept views that clash with some of our deepest thoughts, views, beliefs or opinions and sit by a campfire holding hands and singing Kum Ba Yah. But I am saying we can be civil. We can listen. We can respect. We can even disagree without being punitive, or mad.

Christ-followers of all people need to remember that our leader was the victim of circle drawing. He embraced the broken, weak, sinful, and social outcasts. He even talked to people with whom he disagreed or did not share their beliefs. In fact in one circle-drawing event, He was accused of being a drunk and a "friend of sinners". The circle-drawer's presumed to know his heart and motives. How many times have I done that with those with whom I disagree? Perhaps that's the most dangerous part of drawing circles. We presume we're right and our myopic view not only excludes those with whom we disagree, but it pronounces judgment. Something I believe Jesus said was not even His role, but God's.

Circle drawer's put down your markers. Not every Muslim is out to strap explosives to his/her body and blow up Americans. Not every Hispanic is lazy, drunk or "cashing in" on the system. Not every African American group of boys in a blighted neighborhood is out to rob us, or highjack our car. Not every doctor or attorney is strictly out for profit. Not every Christian is mean and close-minded. Not every person with a tatoo is some sort of freak beneath human dignity. Not every prisoner is without a set of morals. Not every priest is a pedophile. Not every person battling an addiction is beyond hope. Not every NFL, or NBA player is in a night club with a gun, or a thug. Not every person who doesn't speak English is somehow inferior. You get the idea.

Isn't it amazing that the earth is round? One big circle with people who are red, and yellow, black and white, ALL precious in God's sight.

P.S. I never said you can't be passionate, or share your views, beliefs and faith with others. It's how we do it.