For a few years now I've hammered away at the threat posed by relativism in Western society. Relativism posits that there is no absolute truth, only truths held by individuals that do not apply to other people. This rebels against common sense (so gravity doesn't exist if I say it doesn't exist?). More importantly it denies the claims of Jesus.

In a conversation with Pastor Berhanu Ofgaa last week I was introduced to a blessing that arises from the threat of relativism. Dr. Ofgaa and I were discussing his doctoral thesis. He noted that there was a time when the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod was very much a closed denomination. It was very difficult for people who were not life long cultural Lutherans to join our churches. This would seem especially true in the days when one had to know German to worship in a LCMS church in America. Vestiges of this version of a closed society were perpetuated even after English was introduced into worship.

Dr. Ofgaa notes that as American society becomes more tolerant and open, so LCMS congregations also are more open for people without Lutheran backgrounds. We acknowledged the dangers of these waters, especially the risk of churches being formed and shaped more by society than God. This caveat understood, there still is a blessing from this shift in our churches. Later this morning I'll preach at Beautiful Savior in Powell, OH, a church that celebrated an adult baptism last week. This afternoon I will participate in the installation of Pastor Fakih in Portsmouth, OH. Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church has a handful of people with varied ethnic and racial backgrounds in adult instruction classes now.

I definitely have not embraced the gospel of tolerance, so I won't be ordering a dozen of the "tolerance" bumper stickers. However, if the shift in society made it more acceptable to share the Gospel with new people so that they are disicpled in our churches, then that aspect of the trend is a blessing.