'Compassion'....

There are various things I could write about this week. Battling independence, Submission, Patience. God has been teaching me a lot on each of these topics. The fact that the world has got so much into the way we think and the things we go after was also a contender. But the one that won out in the end was a little topic I'd like to call 'Compassion'.

I've been speaking out quite a bit lately about wordliness, and sin entering the church. I recently faced a situation in which we were on the way to evangelism and as we were heading out, a brother began to play an array of secular music to another brother to maybe 'get the adrenalin pumped'. Without saying much it got to me. After evangelism, I quickly spoke before we got into the van, 'No music on the way back, please'. We ended up having a little discussion about the impact secular music had on me, and the worldliness which is attached to it which I may have to tolerate in a secular setting, but when a brother was playing it, and not a new believer, especially since we were just about to go on a spiritual endevour, I couldn't just let sleeping dogs lie.

We continued to go into this subject over the next few days and I found myself softening towards the view that not all music was bad, but it's what spirit it put across and what message you give with the music you create that makes the difference. Because I had been thinking money may be neutral and can be used for good purposes or bad, I began to think the Lord was speaking to me that maybe music was the same. My view began to soften further over the week and to an extent I began to recant the views I had expressed previously about 'secular music'.

Further still, I went into the bookshop I volunteer at and found myself comparing our existence in this world and the mindsets we develop that are so hard to shake to the message of the Matrix. Immediately I was reproved by a fellow colleague because the Matrix was a 'dark film'. Within a few seconds I was also quietly rebuked by a customer after suggesting she could watch a Christian film on youtube with the short phrase, 'No, I'll buy it'. I realised the same yardstick I'd applied to this brother, now was being applied to me in areas I hadn't previously seen a problem in.

What was my response? Naturally I got protective and so decided to develop a 'non judgemental' attitude. My view became 'if this brother wants to listen to secular music who am I to tell him not to'. Let him be judged by his conscience as I will be judged by mine. After all we are under grace and we have liberty. We both have the Holy Spirit. He will show us what is acceptable in either case. But was it right to be so passive in my conclusion?

Where is the yardstick by which we come to a conclusion about what is wordly and what is Godly in the church? Especially when it concerns things which are not explicitly spoken about in the Bible. After all we must make judgements, especially when it concerns ourselves, our brethren and spiritual things. 

I got softer and more passive, even ready to apologise that I was being legalistic and not understanding. But.....the question remains, where does legalism or passivity end, and correction come in?