Monday Morning Manna: When Grown People Disagree

The first two grown adults who disagreed were named Cain and Able (Genesis 4:1-8). The most recent disagreement that you observed (or in which you participated) may have been at your workplace, an athletic event, your church, or your home, and it may have been last week, or today. These disagreements are normal. Afterall, God created us with minds of our own – no two alike. We see things through different lens, and we process things through different filters. So, we disagree. The Southern Baptist Convention has a big disagreement going on and it will be on display for the world to see in a week at the annual meeting in Nashville. This is not new. I’ve been going to such conventions since I was eight years old (no, I wasn’t an elected messenger. I went with my parents), so I have seen multiple denominational disagreements. I won’t be in attendance this year since I’m scheduled for surgery that week. My prayer this year is that we can show the world how to disagree without being disagreeable. My fear is that we will not, but rather that we will use our individual, unique minds to display the worst. When I was young, we had a little chorus for times like these. If you remember it, you can sing along – “Every party has a pooper, that’s why we invited you, Party pooper. Party pooper.” I do not mean to make light of theological disagreements. God knows, I have endured enough of those. I believe in the Truth and my favorite version of the Bible is the Large Print Edition. Seriously, I prefer singing, “We are one in the Spirit,” but we shall see. We. Shall. See.

Dr. Dan Crawford, Senior Professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, is the WestCoast Baptist Association’s Spiritual Life & Leadership Mentor. Follow Dan on Twitter @DrDanRC and Facebook www.facebook.com/dan.crawford.