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Nov 26, 2022 06:00am

The Rest of The Story

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Many of you may remember a famous American news commentator named Paul Harvey. His unique style of presenting the news coupled with background stories was legendary for more than thirty years. He famously used the same format and catchphrases most of those years. He would start his broadcast by talking about some big news story of the day. Then he would pivot to the detailed background story that no one had heard.
I was involved in one of those stories back in 2001. At the time, I managed a national retail department store that was sued for $10.5 million by a customer who said our salon gave her a bad haircut. I can still remember anxiously waiting as he described that news and then pivoted to the background story with his famous catchphrase:
“You’ve heard the news. Now you’re going to hear the rest of the story!”

THE NEWS
So in my best Paul Harvey voice, I start by giving you the news that there is a lot of tension and animosity today between Christians and those outside our faith. Maybe even more newsworthy is that there is a lot of tension and animosity between some of us within our faith community.
Some consider us fake and hypocritical, and they can put forth some pretty compelling evidence that some of us are. Others point to some area of disagreement over doctrine or style and consider that heresy.
Perhaps nowhere is the tension and animosity more evident than on the topics of abortion and homosexuality. Many with differing viewpoints cannot have a rational discussion on either topic, much less a cordial one.
So let’s give it a try by pivoting to the rest of the story.

THE REST OF THE STORY
Despite any irreconcilable differences on either issue, there is conduct that should govern our relationship with each other. It is the model of Jesus. He is the model of decency whether you believe in Him or not. So whatever side you are on, stay with me a few more minutes as we consider the model of Jesus in four areas.

1. Love
Jesus left no doubt that we are to love each other regardless of where we stand on an issue. The love He exhibits and the love He requires is all inclusive. He modeled the greatest example of love ever known by subjecting himself to a humiliating and gruesome death on the Cross as the avenue for our reconciliation with God. That love was poured out for all people, not just those on His side of an issue. His love was so inclusive He prayed for forgiveness for those who were torturing and murdering Him.
Unfortunately, in our desire to stand on truth, our words, actions, and attitudes can turn hurtful and hateful. That is not love but misusing truth. We should never compromise on truth, but it must be wrapped in love and grace.

2. Compassion
Most of us have probably heard the story of the Good Samaritan. It is a story that Jesus made up to illustrate a point and provide a model that we should follow. In the story, the Samaritan showed compassion and came to the aid of an injured Jewish traveler despite a hatred between their peoples over a variety of irreconcilable differences. He didn’t just feel compassion, he went out of his way to show compassion.
The model of Jesus requires compassion despite extreme differences. We can hate abortion with every fiber of our being yet show compassion for the desperate young lady that sees no alternative. We can offer help and hope to the woman who is struggling with guilt or depression over a past decision. We can assure both that the grace of Jesus is available to them regardless of the circumstances.

3. Respect
I call the book of James in the Bible “the book of accountability”. Throughout it, we are called out and held accountable for our words, actions, and attitudes. In one of those challenges, the hypocrisy of praising God while disrespecting those who are made in His image is highlighted.
Every human is created in the image of God. That is the basis for the sacredness of every human life. So it is not right to show disrespect to any human being regardless of our differences.

4. Judgment
There are few behaviors that breed more tension and animosity than judging others. While it is proper to evaluate behavior and character, Jesus never assigned us the duty of judging. His directive of “Do not judge—” (Matthew 7:1) seems pretty clear to me.
Judging others is inherently self-righteous and hypocritical because we all have sin in our lives that we need to deal with before we even think about judging others. This is one of the biggest roadblocks to many people considering Jesus.

It has not been my intention here to argue the issues of abortion or homosexuality or change any viewpoints. It has been my goal to highlight that Jesus expects us to treat those on the other side of our belief with love, compassion, respect, and freedom from our judgment. And that expectation goes both ways.
I hope you will give Jesus the chance to guide your conscience and beliefs on these and every other issue. He is ready to do that when you place your faith in him.
Now you know the rest of the story!