The Grace to Disagree by Patrick Carden
http://65583.stablerack.com/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&view=post&articleid=The-Grace-to-Disagree-by-Patrick-Carden-&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
By Patrick Carden
We live in a world where disagreement feels like a declaration of war. Where differing opinions can cost friendships, split churches, and divide families. It seems like we've forgotten how to disagree without disrespect; how to stand firm in truth without standing against people. But grace invites us to something better. Grace says, "You don't have to think like me for me to love you." It reminds us that relationship is not built on sameness. It's built on sacred worth. Every person we encounter is made in the image of God, even those whose opinions we find frustrating, offensive, or just plain wrong.
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We live in a world where disagreement feels like a declaration of war.
Where differing opinions can cost friendships, split churches, and divide families.
It seems like we’ve forgotten how to disagree without disrespect; how to stand firm in truth without standing against people.
But grace invites us to something better. Grace says, “You don’t have to think like me for me to love you.”
It reminds us that relationship is not built on sameness. It’s built on sacred worth. Every person we encounter is made in the image of God, even those whose opinions we find frustrating, offensive, or just plain wrong.
Jesus modeled this beautifully.
He didn’t withhold compassion from those who misunderstood or opposed Him. He broke bread with Pharisees. He spoke with Samaritans. He even prayed for the ones who crucified Him. Grace didn’t mean agreement. It meant love that transcended it.
Disagreement doesn’t have to mean division. It can actually be an opportunity to practice grace. To listen before speaking. To seek understanding instead of scoring points. To remember that being “right” without love is just noise, clanging cymbals in a world already loud with conflict.
Grace allows us to say:
“I don’t have to change your mind to honor your humanity.”
“We can disagree and still walk in dignity.”
“I can speak truth but do it in love.”
That doesn’t mean we avoid hard conversations or compromise conviction. It means we carry conviction with compassion. Because grace doesn’t blur boundaries. It redeems them.
When we practice the grace to disagree, we create space for the Spirit to work, not just in others, but in us. We start to see that peace isn’t found in everyone agreeing; it’s found in everyone being loved.
So maybe the next time we feel that urge to “win” an argument, we pause and ask: Am I fighting to be right, or am I fighting to be like Christ?
Because being right is easy.
Being gracious — that’s divine.
Patrick Carden
http://65583.stablerack.com/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&url=10&view=post&articleid=Spared-in-the-Fire-by-Patrick-Carden-&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
When I sit with the stories of Scripture, I am struck by how often God's deliverance looks different than what I might hope for. My heart wants God to keep me from the trial, the storm, the furnace, or the den. But again and again, the Bible reminds me that God's way is not to spare me from every hardship. It is, at times, to spare me in it. Think about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These young men stood boldly for God, refusing to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image. In return, they faced the fiery furnace.
http://65583.stablerack.com/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&url=10&view=post&articleid=Oneness-and-the-Call-to-Love-Our-Neighbors-by-Patrick-Carden-&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
At the heart of nearly every faith tradition lies a profound truth: we are all one. This oneness is not simply a poetic idea or a lofty spiritual concept—it is the deep reality that binds us together. Scripture reminds us that we are all created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and Paul writes that "we are all members of one body" (1 Corinthians 12:12). The mystics of many traditions echo the same truth: the divine spark dwells in every person.
http://65583.stablerack.com/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&url=10&view=post&articleid=You-Will-Never-Look-into-the-Eyes-of-Someone-God-Doesnt-Love-by-Patrick-Carden-&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
There's a truth so simple, yet so profound, it could change the way we see the world: you will never…. ever look into the eyes of someone God doesn't love. Not once. Not ever. Every person you encounter: the stranger, the friend, the rival, the one you struggle to understand — all of them are seen and cherished by God. His love is not rationed, not conditional, not selective. It is relentless. Think about that.
