Our Differences!

For example, we often see:

(1) GENDER DIFFERENCES

The differences between men and women are noticeable differences.

I am not talking about the physical differences, but our behavioral differences. For example:

• Men are Vain. Before they go somewhere, they will check themselves out in the mirror and get in the car and go where they are going.

• However women are different; they will check themselves out in a mirror before they go somewhere, but as they are traveling to where they are going, they will continue to check themselves out in: the rear view mirror, in any shiny surface, water reflections, spoons, or shop windows.

The Gender difference is one of the differences we are aware of between us. But also there are-

(2) LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES

This is also very noticeable among us. Sometimes because of these differences, we have a difficult time understanding each other.

Illus: A contractor hired an Irishman, an Italian and a Chinese man to move a load of sand.

• He told the Irishman it was his job to sweep the sand

• He told the Italian it was his job to shovel the sand

• He told the Chinese man it was his job to take care of supplies

The contractor came back and the sand pile had not been touched.

• He asked the Irishman why he had not swept the sand. He said that he could not find the Chinese man to get a broom

• He asked the Italian why he had not shoveled the sand. He said he could not find the Chinese man to get a shovel

The contractor said, “Where is the Chinese man?”

The Chinese man jumped up from behind the sand pile and said, “Suplise! Suplise!

But let’s look at another difference among us, and that is the -

(3) POLITICAL DIFFERENCES

Because of the political differences we have in this nation, we have a two party system. That is:

• We have the Democrats that we generally consider to be a political party for the liberals

• We have the Republicans that we generally consider to be a party of conservatives

These two political parties approach everything differently.

Illus: Let me give you this hypothetical situation. You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, a dangerous looking man with a huge knife comes around the corner and is running at you while screaming obscenities. In your hand is a .357 Magnum and you are an expert shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family. What do you do?

THE LIBERAL view would be:

• I don’t have enough information to answer the question

• Does the man look poor or oppressed

• Have I ever done anything to him that inspired him to attack

• Could we run away

• What does my wife think

• What about the kids

• Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand

• What does the law say about this situation

• Is it possible he'd be happy with just killing me? Does he definitely want to kill me or would he just be content to wound me

• If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me

• This is all so confusing! I need to debate this with some friends for a few days to try to come to a conclusion.

THE CONSERVATIVE view would be:

• See if you can put six shots in him before he hits the ground

As we watch such television shows as: “Hannity and Colmes” on the Fox’s New Channel, or “Crossfire” on CNN, we have heard the liberals and conservatives many times expressing their differences.

But the difference among people can not only be seen in these areas of our life, it can also be seen in the Scriptures.

Let’s look a-

I. TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE

Look at verses 1-2, we read, “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.”

When Cain was born it was an exciting event. He was the first baby to ever be born.

Look at Eve’s reaction to this event in their lives in verse 1, "And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD!"

Since then many children have been born, but we just can't imagine what this must have been like for the first child to have been born. Can you imagine the excitement of Adam and Eve, and the hopes they had for this child?