Write the name of Jesus on a piece of paper, put it on the floor and stomp on it.Ryan Rotela, instead, picked up his piece of paper and put it back on the table, saying to the professor, "With all due respect to your authority as a professor, I do not believe what you told us to do was appropriate."
Perhaps there is a god of contempt, and to serve that god is to hold in contempt the name of Jesus.
When we stomp on each other's character--fellow Christ-followers--are we serving that same god?
My recent series, Seduced by Dissension, brought comments that seemingly went beyond the pale.
On Day 4, an anonymous comment (from exvicar) characterized me as follows:
Debi: "Today, class, we are going to drop you off for an anatomy lesson at the home of a man I admire, Mr. Jeffrey Daumer."
Student: "Isn't he a serial killer who eats people?"
Debi: "How dare you use such a label. And here, give him this hot sauce for me."If we claim to be followers of Jesus, how is it loving and truth-telling to paint a person with wild charges that have not even a hint of truth to them?
Contempt at best; at worst, raw hatred.
Life goes on, and love wins in the end.
The lesson from Ryan Rotela? Let's not stomp on the name of Jesus--or each other.
