Tolerance in Toronto...
Thus far, Toronto has been a game changer. This city is totally different than America. Let me explain. On every corner is a pride flag. Downtown, next door to any restaurant or souvenir shop, you will find a gay strip club. Marijuana is decriminalized, so it's aroma candidly shows up in places you would never imagine back in the states. You would probably presume my point is to say that Toronto is a liberal wasteland, but you would be wrong. Yes, Toronto is filled with vice, and is evidenced by the faces of those wasted away by them, but there is a beautiful thing happening here, community.
You see, the idea behind Toronto is tolerance. That's how it accomplishes its ethnic mosaic. Yet, tolerance in Toronto is not the pseudo-tolerance sold in the states. In Toronto, tolerance is respectful, it is a common understanding of your fellow man. It's sort of Biblical... Despite every other person down the sidewalk being of a differing nationality, all people respect one another. Even though they retain their national distinctiveness, no one is forcing them to conform to the mold of a new nationality. It is a tolerance of open arms. Tolerance in Toronto says "This is who you are and we are glad to have you as part of our community." Racial barriers don't seem to exist.
In the states, however, tolerance is not inviting, it's confrontational. Tolerance in the US says "This is who I am, now accept it and stay back." There is no essence of community. Where Toronto has open arms, America has a stiff arm. Each diversity keeps the other at arm's length, afraid they might be forced to conform to the standard mold.
It's quite an eye opening thing. Ministry seems much easier here. In Toronto, despite the lack of Christian presence, Christians are given a platform to live out the love of Christ in the community and they are accepted for that.
It's actually revolutionary. Trinity Life, here, simply lives out the love of Christ by being actively involved in the community. Their strategy is not to invite the most people to their Sunday morning service, in hopes that someone will be exposed to our beliefs. No, they trust God, that if they are truly "The Light of the World," that it will shine out and draw others to the "Light of the Life of Men." They don't need to argue down anyone. They don't need to have the majority vote. They don't need to use the Bible as a weapon, because their too busy showing the love of Christ, get this, by simply being present in the community.
They are making disciples by loving the forgotten. Many serve in boys and girls clubs mentoring troubled kids. Some even move in to project homes alongside rapists, prostitutes, druggies, and murderers just to let their light so shine before men. Not to argue them down by how their behavior is wrong, but to be accepted by their community, to show them the love of God, that He cares for them.
The key word is community. The early church lived in community. They were intentionally loving those who society forgot. Yes, it's a different landscape. Jesus said to make disciples of all nations, more specifically, all groups of people. Not just Muslim, Hindu, African, or Bosnian, but also LGBTQ, drug addict, sex worker, or anyone else we tend to turn a blind eye toward. How else could we love on these people, except for being tolerant of them (as God is tolerant of our sin, for a time). We must be a part of their community, just like Jesus went to the Samaritans, in order to love them as God loves us.
You see, the idea behind Toronto is tolerance. That's how it accomplishes its ethnic mosaic. Yet, tolerance in Toronto is not the pseudo-tolerance sold in the states. In Toronto, tolerance is respectful, it is a common understanding of your fellow man. It's sort of Biblical... Despite every other person down the sidewalk being of a differing nationality, all people respect one another. Even though they retain their national distinctiveness, no one is forcing them to conform to the mold of a new nationality. It is a tolerance of open arms. Tolerance in Toronto says "This is who you are and we are glad to have you as part of our community." Racial barriers don't seem to exist.
In the states, however, tolerance is not inviting, it's confrontational. Tolerance in the US says "This is who I am, now accept it and stay back." There is no essence of community. Where Toronto has open arms, America has a stiff arm. Each diversity keeps the other at arm's length, afraid they might be forced to conform to the standard mold.
It's quite an eye opening thing. Ministry seems much easier here. In Toronto, despite the lack of Christian presence, Christians are given a platform to live out the love of Christ in the community and they are accepted for that.
It's actually revolutionary. Trinity Life, here, simply lives out the love of Christ by being actively involved in the community. Their strategy is not to invite the most people to their Sunday morning service, in hopes that someone will be exposed to our beliefs. No, they trust God, that if they are truly "The Light of the World," that it will shine out and draw others to the "Light of the Life of Men." They don't need to argue down anyone. They don't need to have the majority vote. They don't need to use the Bible as a weapon, because their too busy showing the love of Christ, get this, by simply being present in the community.
They are making disciples by loving the forgotten. Many serve in boys and girls clubs mentoring troubled kids. Some even move in to project homes alongside rapists, prostitutes, druggies, and murderers just to let their light so shine before men. Not to argue them down by how their behavior is wrong, but to be accepted by their community, to show them the love of God, that He cares for them.
The key word is community. The early church lived in community. They were intentionally loving those who society forgot. Yes, it's a different landscape. Jesus said to make disciples of all nations, more specifically, all groups of people. Not just Muslim, Hindu, African, or Bosnian, but also LGBTQ, drug addict, sex worker, or anyone else we tend to turn a blind eye toward. How else could we love on these people, except for being tolerant of them (as God is tolerant of our sin, for a time). We must be a part of their community, just like Jesus went to the Samaritans, in order to love them as God loves us.
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