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Don't Be Hasty


Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. (I Timothy 5:22)
       The laws of physics and of cause and effect are pesky things. If one person is paddling a canoe north, and the other is paddling it south, you don’t make much progress. If one person is putting stones together to make a wall, and another is taking them apart, the only way any progress gets made is if one works faster and harder than the other. The real solution is to only invite someone in the canoe, or onto the work crew who has the same goal. 
         Some people focus on diversity. Their stated goal is to bring in as many different people as possible and they supposedly get to keep their differences. Others focus on unity, and they want everyone to be precisely the same. I’ve found that those who claim to cherish diversity want everyone to be just like them, and everyone who claims to cherish unity reject it when they’re called to change. There is a fine line somewhere and you and I are not the ones who draw it. 
         There are colleges who try to draw that line by saying that if an organization is not open to absolutely everyone and if absolutely anyone cannot be placed in the leadership of that organization, then it’s not permitted on campus. Would it really be appropriate for an atheist to lead a Christian group, a Christian to lead an atheist group, or an Arian to control a group composed of African Americans or Jews? This is one of the problems Timothy faced. It remains today. There are people who have ulterior motives who seek their goals within the Church. Sometimes, I don’t think they even realize it. The reality is that to some extent, we are all wolves in sheep’s clothing. The thing is, some “wolves” are hyenas. 
          I suspect that’s why Paul told Timothy to take his time in choosing his ministry associates. Several years ago, a friend and I discussed a mutual interest in life coaching. He thought it would be a great idea to go into business together. I don’t think I really had a healthy idea of what such a business entailed, but it seemed to me at the time that he didn’t have good business sense about it. More importantly, he is sanguine and I am melancholy. I suspected I knew who would end up doing the work. Still more importantly, I suspect he is Liberal, and I am Conservative. Most importantly of all, he is agnostic or atheist and I am Christian. I don’t think either of us could have respected each other’s motivations or advice.  
          Yes, diversity can be a very good thing, if it is diversity within unity. Unity can be a very good thing, if there is room for some diversity within it. What Paul said was to move slowly in partnerships because they can drag you where you don’t want to go.

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