QT: Secondarise the secondary. Nehemiah3:1–32 Week 27: 30/06/2023. Fri
Diversity presents to Nehemiah and company the challenge to work together properly.
Nehemiah 3:28–30 Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each one opposite his own house. [29] After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired opposite his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, repaired. [30] After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired opposite his chamber. (ESV)
We read of the social and economic diversity of the community. Even though they cannot agree on everything and different preferences are expected of a community of this size, we see that they were still able to work together on what they understood God's will to be.
How can this be practised? Put aside what is of Secondary importance and step forward in those areas that God wanted each of them to accomplish as Primary. Secondarise the Secondary and prioritise the Primary!
Once upon a time, when we were in a cinema hall setting, intense lighting was primary because we need to read printed texts. Now with devices that give off light and displayed texts, the intensity of the lighting became secondary.
But having sufficient lighting is still primary in the sense that we (children of light) do not want to worship in darkness or in an "entertainment outlet ambience"—we assemble for the LORD, not primarily for ourselves, nor prioritise pleasing our own preferences. Lighting is still primary in the sense of safety—we do not want ourselves or our children to trip over steps and stuffs, nor get ourselves injured.
God's will, will prevail. But we can make our journeys less traumatic for ourselves and your friends when we secondarise the secondary, and accept the styles and ways of others quite frequently, especially when the primary purposes can still be attained.
