Friday, August 12 - Romans 14:1-23

Here’s a whole chapter that turns the focus in toward factions in the community, rather than individual attitudes, interpersonal relations generally, or public and cosmic contexts. What about that other guy in your congregation who bugs you the most?

Paul’s reference point are people whose piety leads them to vegetarian or kosher food choices, or ‘observing the day’ in behaviours such as fasting or prayer that all may not follow. Paul makes us all test such ‘adiaphora’ choices, over which reasonable and faithful people may differ, by a test of ‘honouring the Lord’.

Can you share another’s piety or behaviour choice, without conceding their claim that it is mandatory? Can you do it for their sake, if not for your own soul? Can you empathize with others not risking a breach of their rules themselves? Is it all one Lord?

The rest of the article goes here.