As an artist, I struggle to capture a subject with broad strokes. Representational art at least in the range of my ability requires smaller brushes to capture detail. There are exceptions to this—works of art that lean more toward the contemporary or more abstract pieces can be executed with larger brushes. Granted, experts in their craft can do anything. I have a way to go to reach that level. My point in all this is that broad strokes, at least for me, often miss the details. And details can make all the difference.
And
yet, in our culture, we are leaning more into the use of painting others in
wide swaths. We place folks in a broad category whether it be political, faith, or something else and assign
them characteristics that we have already predetermined go with a person in
that category. When we do that, we’ve stopped listening, because listening is
the only way we find out the details. We’ve thrown away our small brushes.
It hurts my heart when I see or hear this done. Recently, I heard
someone use a broad-brush stroke referring to others with a differing view as
God-less. I had a friend who fit the category referred to, and knew they were
not God-less, in fact they were God-full. Someone who has a differing view may
be wrong (or not) in their thinking, but it doesn’t mean they are apart from
God. I may have seen things differently than the person referenced but their
hearts were after God.
Rather than jettisoning others because of wide categories and broad
strokes, let’s look and listen for the details that may bring us together. You
may be saying, well, if they think “x, y, or z” then I don’t want to hear
anything else they have to say. Really? We have to ask ourselves what would the
Biblical response be? If we truly see these folks apart from God, then we have
an even greater burden to build a bridge. Paul said, “I have become all things
to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (I Corinthians
9:22).
I understand this is not easy. It’s less trouble to just lump folks into
categories and try to get away from them because we don’t want to hear differing
views.
But please, let’s get rid of those big brushes. Let’s take out the
smaller ones that can capture the fine points that may change everything. I’m
here painting alongside you, friend!