Drinking It All In

The pastor at our church is just plain brilliant. This Sunday in church he talked about having  "expansive" faith. To him, expansive faith means that we:

• We see science as a tool helping us discover more about God's creation. We need not be afraid of what science has to tell us.
• We approach our skeptical friends as conversation partners and not as targets or people holding "dangerous" beliefs.
• We hold our convictions firmly but stay willing to reexamine them as we continue on our path of discovery.
• We Transform. Our spiritual formation as we live in faith keeps moving.
• We respond. Be a peacemaker in this world.

Then he talked about the "peacemaker" and the values that a peacemaker would hold.  Peacemakers:

• Do not objectify others.
• Seek to reconcile
• Take the kingdom where it is not.

The idea of objectifying hit me hard. Being a feminist, I loathe what our society does to women by turning them in to objects of gratification whether just visual or physical. But I was convicted during the sermon about the objectifying I do. I too have taken a group of people and put a label on them without bothering to get to know them. Honestly, the privileged white class with their sense of entitlement, their plastic filled women and their "fundraisers" to benefit the sick and poor, that mostly consists of having a blast, drinking way too much, rubbing elbows with all the right people and then writing a check so they can feel better about themselves.

As you see, I need to work on my expansive faith. I'll keep trying to meet people where they are and not giving them a title or put them in a group. 

I've got a long way to go and a short time to get there. :)