In the letter to the Galatians, St. Paul reports on what has been called in the tradition as the “Council of Jerusalem.” (St. Luke gives his version in the Acts of the Apostles.) There was a sharp disagreement — among those we recognize as saints! — about what the Gospel of Jesus required. They had to get together and take counsel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit about the will of God. That story of the early church has been repeated again and again throughout history. Really good people can disagree about what God requires of us. We, like those early believers, need to enter into respectful conversation trusting the integrity of all involved and being sensitive to the prompting of the Spirit wherever it leads.
