I've heard a lot lately about tolerance from a number of spiritual groups. Tolerance is a difficult word for me because it denotes "putting up with" or "leeway from variation of a standard". To me this is a very severe idea. It makes it sound like "I'm right, you're wrong, but I'll put up with you". To me this is not the message that I get from Yeshua in the New Testament. I believe his message is one of compassion.
In Jewish Kabbalah there is an idea of three pillars - mercy, compassion, & severity. In God these three pillars are all balanced and God's mercy, compassion, and severity are all divine love. Unfortunately in humanity when we polarize we get out of balance and tend to lose that middle ground and lose true love. In humans mercy very often turns into a place of not even trying to help someone because we are afraid of hurting or offending them. On the other hand, in humans, severity usually turns into judgement and anger. Compassion is the middle ground where we care enough for someone to be there for them; never judge; but at the same time help them on their spiritual path even during the tough times.
I believe that Yeshua's message was one of Compassion. The ability to come along side someone and not look at a list of dos or don'ts, but instead look at the person and see where they are hurting and where they need help to grow. The best part is that this is not a one way street - we all need others to be there for us because none of us have "arrived".
Saint Paul says "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" in the New Testament. The word "Sin" literally means to miss the mark and the word "Repent" literally means to turn the other direction. So, for Sophian's the idea is that when someone is finding it hard to stay on their path and are suffering we are there to help them turn back toward their true self; their true will; God's true will. This is not condemnation, this is compassion. It is also not tolerance because there is absolutely nothing to "tolerate". It's not my place to judge or decide about another.... only myself. But I can be their full of compassion to help a brother or sister when they need me.
This is what the Living Yeshua told us and what he enacted in his life.
Blessings & Love, Yonah
