Do you find people with whom you have differences? This is inevitable and you should expect it, and not regard it as a bad thing. Do you regard people with whom you do not agree as your enemies? It does not have to be this way. How many people are you commanded to love? If this includes everyone then it would extend to those of different opinions. You may be fiercely committed to your own opinions as they are to theirs. Let your fierce commitment to love be even greater. This will enable you to go beyond just living in peace and toleration with those you have differences with.

Do you regard other people in terms of how similar they are to you, or how different? You can make both cases from the Bible. You are a peculiar people called to come out from among them and be separate. Yet at the same time you are created by the same God in his image and bear his likeness. This gives you a common humanity. Both concepts are true and useful, but which is stronger? Consider my own life and practice. Didn’t I reach out to include those who were rejected and outsiders? My acceptance of those outside my own tradition was a radical departure and shocking to my culture.

Are you aware of your advantages? Do you have an even greater awareness of the advantages of others? Do you take your own blessings in stride as your due and wish you had the blessings of others as well? Perhaps they wish they had yours, and see you as privileged in comparison to themselves. Can you have peace if you don’t have contentment? Those who are aware of their own blessings without being envious of the blessings of others are in a position to be grateful. Do you understand the value of this? Is it more important to get more stuff or to be thankful for what you have?

I said that unless you were converted and became as little children you would not enter the Kingdom of God. But children have undesirable qualities as well as desirable ones. You use the terms childlike and childish to distinguish between these. The qualities I am looking for are trust, wonder, and amazement. I am not looking for immaturity, stubbornness, and willfulness. For I also tell you to put away childish things as you mature. You can see both sets of qualities in adults you know. Can you maintain the desirable qualities of childlikeness even as you put away childish things?