After having committed a particularly ugly sin, David expressed his heart’s longing beautifully in one of his Psalms:
“Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned . . . Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God.” (Psalm 51:2 – 4, 9 – 10).
Are we not touched by this confession? And yet, on many other topics we are not likely to readily agree. In conversations with spiritual contents it is natural to argue according to our respective convictions. Someone rightly said that convictions often are worse enemies to the truth than lies. What we call convictions are, in reality, little more than opinions. Discussions on this basis are predictable and futile: Everybody talks and nobody listens.
I suggest the answer is to honestly face contentious issues squarely, but with the determination to find out together what is trustworthy, and why it is so. After all, it is a matter concerning and affecting eternity! Let us be mature, and go beyond silly arguments.
Let us speak from a mutual concern for each other, not to win an argument. Let us make sure to follow the only eternal Truth of God. We do not want to risk that one of us goes astray!
Knowing each other a little by now, I am sure that together we will, with kindness, understanding and sober judgement, find what concerns us more than anything else in this world!
Yours sincerely,
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