Growing up Jersey

On one of my other blogs I wrote a post titled Growing Up Jersey.   That entry is about some happy memories from my childhood.

There is another aspect of growing up in New Jersey that Fr. Matt Kennedy's post below highlights.  Most of my best friends growing up were Jewish.  In that culture, arguing can be a sign of respect.  Arguing in the Jewish culture is not something that is abhorred.

Some Christians don't have much of a stomach for arguments.  Somewhere along the line kindness (a fruit of the Spirit) was replaced by niceness (not a fruit of the Spirit).  Niceness seems to mean that Christians should   avoid arguments.

As we have been taught by the recovery movement, the best love is sometimes tough love.   Tough love sometimes employs conflict to get to a better place.  Kindness for a drug addict is not enabling their addiction.  Gentleness (a true fruit of the Spirit) is sometimes firm.

So, Christians, let's toughen up.  Let's realize that we are in a spiritual battle and sometimes battle requires, at the very least, arguments.  Brothers and sisters in Christ, deal with it.