Last week we started a small series of messages around a phrase I have heard almost my whole life:
In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity.
In that first installment we analyzed the opening phrase regarding Unity in Essentials. Today I want to focus on the second phrase.
In Non-Essentials Liberty
Liberty is an interesting word that we don't hear in regular conversation too much unless it's a call to protect our liberties, where it is mostly used as a noun. But in this context, it's an adjective used to describe our approach toward Non-Essentials. In other words, when we are considering what doesn't fit in the Essentials category (the Non-Essentials), then we want to approach those items with some extra freedom and a loose grip. The intent is to create some "room to roam" within certain contexts and categories.
As an example, let's look back at one of our illustrations from last week. I wrote, "What is essential for a loving relationship? Mutual respect, commitment, a desire to serve. What else?" The list of essentials in a healthy, loving relationship is a pretty short list. However, there are a lot of things on the Non-Essentials list when it comes to relationships: hair, height, sense of humor, eye color, favorite movie, food likes, etc., etc., etc. The list is actually pretty extensive, which creates a lot of room for personal preference. Thankfully we apply Liberty to the Non-Essentials in relationships which allows us to have significant diversity in what a relationship looks like.
This is one of the things I really appreciate about this phrase, because Liberty in Non-Essentials allows for the depth of complexity that exists in our world. It helps us to embrace diversity as a gift. It allows us to be able to find some common ground while also creating room for healthy disagreement and conflict to exist. The truth is, if we all had to think or act in the exact same way, the world would be a pretty boring place.
But here's the thing, much of the time we try and push too many things that are in the Non-Essential category where we should be embracing Liberty, and we move them into the Essential space where we demand unity and conformity. We keep expanding what should be a short list of Essentials by adding more and more things from the Non-Essential categories, and in the process we want everyone to think and act just like we do, instead of appreciating our differences where various perspectives can actually help us all be better.
Where are the places in life where you are tempted to push things from the Non-Essential categories into the Essentials list? How could you look at diversity and complexity as a gift and find room for Liberty in those spaces? Is there a person or perspective you have found frustrating, and you can now see that part of the reason for that frustration is you're expecting them to think or act in agreement with you? How could you use Liberty and curiosity to understand their perspective more? What do you think their perspective might even be able to teach you as you find Unity in (just!) Essentials with them, and then apply Liberty in the Non-Essentials?
Here's to living with Liberty in the Non-Essentials this week! (Thankfully, it's a pretty big list!)
Be Well,
Stephen
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