'To Bless All Mankind' October 5, 2015 Issue

God-inspired moderation

Stephen Carlson

Originally printed in The Christian Science Monitor, August 3, 2015.

One of my favorite political analysts typically presents a moderate, balanced assessment of issues. He can be definite about what he feels is right or wrong, but his views generally reflect an evenhanded perspective.

In these times of political polarization and extreme viewpoints, a balanced view of events is especially welcome. It brings to thought a Bible verse from the New Testament that says: “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:5). I like to think of this in connection with another verse, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

Of course, to be humanly moderate about everything isn’t what it means to have the mind that was in Christ Jesus. The Way-shower didn’t display merely an attitude of the human mind. He surrendered to God, the one divine Mind. You might say that Jesus showed us moderation from a spiritual standpoint. For example, he didn’t compromise with wrongdoing. He was clear and unequivocal about the importance of worshipping the one God and being obedient to divine law. Yet by doing so he by no means excluded moderation. That’s because God is also Love, as the Bible says. Jesus instructed us to love one another. He taught and illustrated forgiveness. He showed that the Mind we are to express—the Mind we actually do express as God’s children—is infinite Love.

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