Do you rank people according to their value? How do you assign it? Those with a lot of money are highly admired, but perhaps you can look beyond this and other outward displays of wealth, and look at character. Do you rank people according to the fruit of the Spirit that you see expressed in their lives? Perhaps this is a better measure of evaluation, but perhaps not. It still requires you to enter into judgment and assign rankings accordingly. You hold the sanctity of life as a doctrine on the basis that all people are created in my image.

Have you ever heard of all men referred to as gentlemen, as in the phrase, ladies and gentlemen? This is a polite form of address, but have you found that not all men are gentle? Is gentleness even admired as a masculine trait? It should be at least in the sense of not being threatening to women and children. How much beyond that? Is your concept of masculinity formed by your culture or by universal enduring principles? Can you conceive of a masculinity that is gentle and at the same time strong, courageous, and fearless? If you are a man, can you practice it?

Do you lead a meaningful life? Is there any deeper human longing than a life that makes sense, that gives value to suffering, that attaches your efforts to something transcendent and enduring? Where will you find meaning? Is this something that you can inherit from your family or your church? Can it be real if it doesn’t fit with your own lived experience? Have you ever had new experiences that were too big to incorporate into your existing structure of meaning? Did this present as a crisis of meaning? Did you see this in a positive or negative light?

Do you base your life on theological absolutes? Do you find that this makes it easier or harder to find common ground with others? Consider me. Do you think that my doctrinal positions were correct? Have you noticed how many times I reached out to, and even commended, those who were outside of my own faith? There was a Centurion, a Samaritan woman at the well, and I told a story about a good Samaritan, among others. Doctrinal differences did not prevent me from connecting with, and sharing my message of life with anyone. You could make that one of your theological absolutes.