Another Two Cents Worth... On Tolerance

Stream of Thought (for what it's worth)

Watching (too much?) current political/world news coverage led to:

-Hypothesis: Tolerance can't exist on it's own.. Tolerance that does NOT require compromise
...Unconditional True Tolerance. 
-We may, easily enough, tolerate that which will tolerate us... 
- But.. Do we have to forgive, on some level, that which won't tolerate us (without surrendering to compromise).. before we can tolerate it?..
-Once we have forgiven and moved on to tolerate...
-Are we better able to discuss..even disagree, with a desire to persuade, without vitriol?..
-Or is it about surrendering conviction...to avoid... "Eat or be eaten" (the ends justify the means)?...
 -So long as we are continually willing to forgive, tolerate then live within the limitations of what wins the day..giving to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar, and to God that which belongs to God...
-Can we start each morning with a desire to, once again, win the day?..Seizing the ability,once again,to discuss and attempt to persuade?..Living graciously with the end result..within the will of God?... Holding fast the conviction that each day brings a new opportunity to persuade?...

~sigh~

"Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen."

Did you hear of the city on the hill?
Said one old man to the other
It once shined bright and it would be shining still
But they all started turning on each other

You see, the poets thought the dancers were shallow
And the soldiers thought the poets were weak
And the elders saw the young ones as foolish
And the rich man never heard the poor man speak

And one by one, they ran away
With their made up minds, to leave it all behind
And the light began to fade, in the city on the hill
The city on the hill

Each one thought that they knew better
That they were different by design
Instead of standing strong together
They let their differences divide

And one by one, they ran away
With their made up minds, to leave it all behind
And the light began to fade, in the city on the hill
The city on the hill

And the world is searching still
But it was the rhythm of the dancers
That gave the poets life
It was the spirit of the poets
That gave the soldiers strength to fight
It was the fire of the young ones
It was the wisdom of the old
It was the story of the poor man
That needed to be told

It is the rhythm of the dancers
That gives the poets life
It is the spirit of the poets
That gives the soldiers strength to fight
It is the fire of the young ones
It is the wisdom of the old
It is the story of the poor man
That's needing to be told

One by one, we'll be running away
With our made up minds to leave it all behind
As the light begins to fade, in the city on the hill

One by one, we'll be running away
With our made up minds, to leave it all behind
As the light begins to fade, in the city on the hill
The city on the hill

Come home
And the Father's calling still
Come home
To the city on the hill
Come home