This week, we’re bringing you a special episode recorded live from the Restore gathering, where we were joined by Jared Halverson. Jared, who’s become a familiar voice to many of us here, spoke on what he calls “contraries” or paradoxes that are inherent in a life of faith. His message felt like a breath of fresh air and especially timely.
He offers the powerful image of the cross as a symbol of wholeness in our discipleship. One axis, reaching vertically, represents our connection to God, while the horizontal beam represents the love and care we extend outward to embrace those around us. True discipleship, Jared explained, is this centerpoint. It requires both beams—it’s a deep grounding in God that inspires us to reach out in love to others.
And so, in this election week, Jared’s session feels like an invitation to love our neighbor. He boldly reminds us that the means matter, that “being right with God, does not justify being wrong with other people.” So rather than allowing our differences to create distance, he challenges us to see the ways that truth is found in the tension of the paradox. This “both-and” approach allows us to see each other more fully and generously, creating connection that transcends our differences and reflects god’s love.
dyejo
Guest Author
J Washburn
1 comment
When Jarrod talks of “…being right with God, does not justify being wrong with other people.” it reminds me of Luke 6:35 “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
The Lord is telling us to be kind to all people, not just those who think like us. It is our job to seek the understanding of others’ points of view. We do not have to agree with them, however, understanding them allows us to respect them enough to allow them to disagree with us. The blessing we receive for seeking this understanding is priceless. We get to look at the world through another lens and widen our perceptions of the world.
During this election, if we seek to understand one another and work toward a common goal, we all win. The people of our country can be right with God and be right with one another.