Tom,

Everyone started somewhere along this Pilgrim's way. Some progress and others regress, some get off on Faith, others on Hope, others on Love (you know the Catholic idea that love is God.) It is reminds me a little of the idea of the elephant. Some got the tail and said, 'This is it' etc. It is a pity that so many have what they believe is the head, and shout out, "Eureka" we have it! when in reality it is the head that has them.

Christ is building His church out of not very fantastically brilliant and all cleaned up parts and so we need to really learn to reserve our judgments and let Christ do the judging of them, by His Spirit among us. Being sensitive to the leading of the Spirit is what the early church was really good at, and for sure there were dead Ananias' and Sapphira's and those whose bodies were given over to satan to be destroyed. But to just call a large group of people that may or may not be fully in a particular false teaching, is throwing discernment in the Spirit out of the window. The spirit of meekness that James encourages in the restoration of one who is far from the Lord cannot be avoided for us, if we see ourselves as Apostles or Teachers, or having authority, we need to remember that those who are least, those who are the servants will earn the right to sit, and even then only those who the Father designates to the important seats, will take that place. It worries me when we cannot see clearly examples like when the mothers brought the little one's to be blessed by Jesus and the disciples, (all mature and learned and all, objected)...Jesus' reaction is always what pulls me back to a place of learning. This heaven we are all to enter one day, is not one that favours the hard line, it favour gentleness, meekness, self control, kindness, need I name all the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

The softness of Christ is what has drawn us, His love for us, His greater love, for His friends, and if perchance some of these we label 'Heretic' are no more than friends, who have grown up a bit bent, well in accordance with our perception of what is straight, we might find ourselves stayed by the outstretched hand of God.

Earnestly,