Whether or not it’s because you kinda sorta drive too close behind people like I kinda sometimes do, you’re familiar with them: “Coexist” bumper stickers. It has been interesting over the years to hear people’s reactions to them. I certainly appreciate the creativity behind the idea and the encouragement to allow separate worldviews to remain separate worldviews, rather than pushing the rather confusing “in the end we really all believe the same thing” mantra. However, I also sense a sort of isolationist complacency behind the message, a “let’s not allow each other to improve our beliefs” attitude.
As I began considering if and how Christians could simultaneously “Coexist” in our world and yet maintain the bold, radical message Jesus exemplifies, I was reminded of a quote that recently caught my attention. “Perhaps the most radical thing we followers of Jesus can do in the information age is treat each other like humans—not heroes, not villains, not avatars, not statuses, not Republicans, not Democrats, not Calvinists, not Emergents—just humans. This wouldn’t mean we would stop disagreeing, but I think it would mean we would disagree well.”
What I like most about this insight is the way it shuns the very human desire to identify an enemy to hate, focusing instead on the more divine perspective of considering every person on the same playing field. We’re all imperfect and in need of a Savior, regardless of our political affiliation or denomination. We’re all worth the life of Christ to God regardless of our moral failures, as Jesus is what God paid to restore those who desire it (Click to tweet).
However, we also need to be willing to describe how to disagree well and appropriate goals for doing so. I would propose that to “coexist” and disagree well as a Christian means to 1) respect worldviews enough to maintain the inherent and irreconcilable differences between them, 2) value the humans behind these beliefs enough to know that they are no more in need of a Savior than you and that they are worth no less to God than you, and 3) view every disagreement not merely as a fact of life we must accept, but as an opportunity for improvement. Either you have something to teach, you have something to learn, or both people can teach and learn from each other. There is no reason someone shouldn’t always benefit.
The only way no one will benefit from “coexisting” is if it makes us too afraid to talk about our faith differences to allow the opportunity for growth to even get started (Click to tweet).
This one’s a little less intense…or is it?
To examine some of the important differences between the Christian faith and other worldviews and how to work through those helpfully, check out Healing Hereafter, my free ebook series you can download in two clicks right here! And put a fun bumper sticker on your car this weekend! 🙂
