The goal of Christian Ethics is to live along the Way of Christ Jesus. This life includes all we do and everyone we meet. There exists tension in following the Way because individuals along the Way will have their individual way of following. To continuoulsy follow the Way together demands that we be able to tolerate things we may find disagreeable; the Christian way of doing this is to first love God as revealed in Christ Jesus so that we can love others as ourselves in faithful imiation of Jesus himself.
In love, then, we can communicate with one another without turning away from one another. Any distinction between "us" and "them" need not be an excuse to disrupt community. Christian ethics defines Christian community, so there will be those who choose to remain outside such community; however, those within Christian community must continually act to invite those outside of Christian community to become part of the Christian community.
The Christian hope is that God is working to reconcile all things to Himself, having decisively done so already through the Person of Jesus Christ, and that our actions in this life cooperate with the way God is working. By the grace of God we can be tolerant, imitating God's own gracious forbearance in withholding his sure judgment against us for our own transgressions. Thus we pray,
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed by 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 the evil one. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. AMEN!
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