Does loving people and things as they are mean accepting them as they are? If so, what are we to do with the call to join the Spirit’s transformative work of making all people, places and things new?
The call to transformation certainly seems to contradict acceptance. It focusses on what is wrong in the world and motivates us to change it, not accept it. Without question, we are called to join God’s work of transforming the economic, social, political and religious systems and powers of our day, so that justice, freedom and dignity increase for all. The problem is, we are often more focussed on transforming others than experiencing transformation ourselves. Unless we are continually open to the transforming presence of Christ in our own lives, our passion for transforming others quickly turns into control rather than love.
As a younger man, I had difficulty accepting anything that seemed wrong or unjust in my eyes. I was difficult to live with. I was hard on others because I was hard on myself. Then somewhere along the way I entered a season of erring on the side of acceptance.
But the truth is, I wasn’t doing my best. And when I accepted this truth, a desire for divine presence, purpose and progress started to intensify within me. My hunger for personal transformation became a holy fire within. I felt the Spirit calling me to higher standards in all areas of my life. The result was that 2017 became one of the most transformational years of my life.
I discovered true acceptance of self means accepting and honouring one’s desire and need to change. The same applies to our acceptance of others, the church and the world. I think this is key to integrating transformation and acceptance.
As I write this on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I think of how he embodied this sacred integration of acceptance and transformation in a powerful way. He was able to accept things like imprisonment and suffering in light of their transformative power. The way he accepted the present moment made it transformative.
Love must offer both acceptance and transformation because people and society need both. The church can only offer this love to others if we are continually open to the transformation and acceptance of God ourselves. This means we’ll be constantly changed.
Troy Watson (troydw@gmail.com) is a pastor at Avon Mennonite Church.