Tolerance is a word that is thrown around a lot today. Whether it be regarding lifestyles, religious views, or even racial issues. Tolerance seems to be our society’s new ultimate good. As a matter of fact, it seems that the only thing one should not tolerate is intolerance. How intolerant of us.
No doubt, one should always tolerate a person regardless of what the person does, but one does not have to tolerate sinful actions that a person participates in, it’s all summed up in the old adage: “love the sinner, hate the sin.” Some may say that this very adage is what is so offensive, and they ask “how can you love somebody, and hate what they do?”
Think about that question carefully. Did Christ not come to save sinners? Is the Church not here to bring Christ to the world so that He may save sinners? Is this not the Church’s mission?
So, obviously, Christ was able to love others although they were sinners and He most especially hates sin, for sin is a turning away from Him and a denial of His graces. So if there is such a thing as sin, then we must hate the sin that we participate in, for the very sake of the one participating in the sin. Is that not a more powerful love than simply allowing a person to participate in sin without repremand?
Being a person who still needs a lot of conversion and grace to become the man who God made me to be, I ask everyone to tolerate me until I get there, and I promise that I will make a great effort to do the same for you.
God bless you and God love you.
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