To compromise is human; to forgive is divine.
One of the most pernicious effects of Western logic is imputing to God a perfectionist ethic. This is blasphemous. His Law Covenants are loaded with compromise. Jesus noted that Moses permitted divorce, but the Father wasn’t really happy with it. It’s not a matter of precision in law, but a question of moral failure.
Morality is predefined in Creation, woven into all existence as a moral fabric. Embracing that moral character of God makes everything work as it should; it puts you in an optimum position in dealing with God. It does not resolve all problems and suffering; some of that is just part of our fallen plane of existence. However, it is consistent with God’s character and how Creation works.
I agree with the teaching of Sister Wildcucumber, even though I could not possibly include all of it in my daily life. She would have a similar difficulty incorporating everything I suggest as the will of God in other matters. That’s why we are a team supporting each other and filling in the blanks with our own gifts. Then again, some things in our lives are closed doors; we have already passed that opportunity. We may find amelioration, but God won’t allow us to revisit yesterday. We can always strive to correct past failures, but it’s not an option in some things.
God will deal with you where you are. He will offer to lead you farther along the optimal path, but perfection is not available in this realm of existence. If it matters to His inscrutable plans, there are some things He will force on you. Whether or not it constitutes a blessing has more to do with your willingness to embrace Him personally than the nature of the thing itself.
This is why we teach that the heart is a sensory organ. It is not subject to the mind; the only hope is for the mind to learn how to submit to the heart. The heart can read the moral fabric if you encourage your heart to live and know. What it will read from that moral fabric has to do with your calling and mission. None of us can be adept at all things at once. The whole point of requiring us to congregate in communities of faith is so God can weave us together with our unique callings and talents.
The Old Testament was loaded with contextual compromises, so we are not surprised to see them in the New Testament. Most of my counseling and teaching work is helping people to see past the rules and to read the moral fabric with their hearts. At some point, community peace is more important than perfect physical health, so Paul and his associates called for folks to compromise on dietary habits. At some point doctrinal purity will choke the audience and you have to take it slow, giving them small bites.
By the same token, you can’t camp around any positive experience as your lifelong comfort zone. There is no stasis in Creation, neither on the fallen level nor in Heaven. It’s all alive, down to the very sub-atomic particles. Your heart will tell you that, and the same goes for life in the macro. Not just planets and systems, but the whole of Creation lives. Your mind could conceivably make room for that; only your heart can truly understand.
Learn to live with all life.
