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Wisdom Is Not A Knee-Jerk Reaction. Hatred Is.


Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. (Colossians 4:5) 

            Having spent some time looking at how we are to treat one another within a community, it seems appropriate to consider how to treat the "not one anothers" we encounter. The first key for me is to acknowledge that different  people warm up to both one anothers and "not one anothers" at different rates. There are a few people that I hit it off with quickly. Most take time, and when it comes to whole groups, that time may be a couple years. I have friends who seem to make instant friends with everyone. You probably know to which category you belong and I believe it's wise to work within that understanding.
            For some, being wise toward outsiders (the not one anothers) seems to mean to be street smart, to protect themselves so that they are not scammed, taken advantage of or hurt. It means dealing with the enemy. There is a sense in which this is accurate, and a sense in which it is an overly broad generalization (therefore inaccurate.)  Once upon a time, we were all part of that same enemy force. Those enemies are best eliminated by their conversion, not their execution. This may mean taking the chance of treating them as human beings now, rather than as sub-human enemies. This was the teaching of the Old Testament as well. The foreigner was to be treated like a neighboring Jew. That principle has not changed. You never know when the Saul who is persecuting you will become the Paul who is one of your champions.

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