An old maxim says, "If two people are exactly alike, one of them is unnecessary."
I thought of this while putting the final touches on my talk for the Clearview Apologetics Conference coming up soon. It seems that each speaker will have differing opinions about textual criticism. The presence of opposites means giving, and maybe losing, a little of ourselves. And that's a good thing. For out of diversity comes growth. Paul was no yes-man, but he needed Silas and Barnabas and Timothy and Titus and Priscilla and Aquila and scores of others (see Romans 16). That's healthy.
One of the most exciting ways to watch the Holy Spirit at work is to sit among a group of Christians with totally different ideas about how to do something. One thought sparks another. Occasionally (though rarely) everyone comes to one mind. Yet out of it all comes a fantastic testimony of what can happen when brothers and sisters interact directly with each other. We become individually and corporately more effective.
If you're planning on joining me at the conference this year, here's a prayer we might pray:
God, I thank you I am not very sharp all by myself. I need other people who are different from me. Ease my anxiety when I am at the conference. Open my mind to change.