Apples and Oranges

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3

A sailor, home on leave, decided to pay his respects to an old friend’s grave. As he laid his flowers on the grave he noticed an old Chinese gentleman, who in the oriental custom, was placing some apples and oranges on a grave next to his friend’s.

The sailor looked down at the old man and sneered. “When’s he going to come up and eat that fruit?” The astute Oriental smiled and nodded at the grave of his friend and said, “At the same moment your friend comes up to smell his flowers.”

It is sometimes hard for us to forebear the differences we see in others when the differences we demonstrate are all too evident and perhaps odd to others. Unfortunately, we can be all too quick to judge other brothers and sisters’ freedom in Christ. Someone may worship with hands raised, or might prefer the King James Version while another prefers the English Standard. Another may like old hymns over contemporary Christian, or may even feel church worship is to be done without instruments. The list can go on and on, but these are things that do not alter the message or work of salvation.

I know from my own experience I can tend toward judging apples and oranges. It’s easy to allow an unloving spirit to lead me into areas that are my own preferences and partialities. Humility, patience, and kindness are quickly overcome by prejudice. I sneer at apples and oranges, as the flowers in my hand droop.

As God has made differences among Creation that add luster and beauty, so He has accentuated our lives with differences in people in the church that can still honor, praise and bring Him glory. Our response need not be one of a critical spirit. We have the freedom to enjoy the fragrance of spiritual flowers but let’s not judge those who prefer the sweetness of an orange or the crisp bite of an apple in areas of differential preference. Critical spirits lead to a legalistic, a my-way-is-the-only-way mindset. Paul reminds us to see other’s differences with understanding and grace (Romans 14:3, Colossians 2:16).

Longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, and endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit holds us in the bond of peace. When we can find ourselves judging someone else’s apples and oranges we can lay our flowers down and enjoy a nice fruit salad.

Ken