Following Jesus, proclaiming Jesus, loving like Jesus has always elicited opposition. St. Paul makes this clear in the first letter he ever wrote. The first thing he says that causes opposition is speaking in a fashion that puts pleasing God above pleasing people. This kind of speaking fends off temptations to deceit, manipulative flattery, or pretext to greed. It also refuses our ego’s need to return injury for injury even passive-aggressively. As you know this takes real-world practice and a whole lot of courage. But, more than courage it takes a commitment to gentleness. Gentleness, not avoidance, cowering or polite hostility. The Christian is encumbered in speaking unlike many other folks. We pledge to see the truth beyond our personal truths and to communicate that truth in bold gentleness — as a key to emancipation, as loving enough to risk rebuke. This spiritual discipline gives any truth-telling we have been trusted with integrity. How you handle opposition is a key spiritual maturity indicator. In a funny, poetic, painful, redeeming way, opposition forges us into the likeness of the ONE we love but are afraid to love too much.
For People with Bishop Rob Wright
The new podcast expands on Bishop’s For Faith devotional, drawing inspiration from the life of Jesus to answer 21st-century questions.