Ever feel like you were caught in the middle of a battle zone at church? Like, there were two mighty opposing forces competing for the heart and soul of the Body of Christ, but on the surface at least, it didn't look like God and Satan? It seems like everywhere I go these days (and I've gotten around - to heck with the warnings against church shopping, that's a whole 'nother post), people are in the business of remaking other people in their image.
I understand the temptation. You start out trying to be more like Christ. You do the best you can to add more virtues to your repertoire, or subtract your worst vices. But whether you take the path of construction or the one of deconstruction, it takes investment. A lot of commitment, time, effort, and most of all, coming to the point where you are willing to do for Christ what you otherwise would not be willing to do.
And then some fellow believer comes along and has the gall to possess the freedom in Christ to do the opposite of what you have worked so hard to accomplish. How dare they?!?!?
Get enough advocates from opposing efforts together in the same church, and you have the makings of a turf war. Complementarians vs. Egalitarians. New Earth vs. Old Earth Creationists. Calvinists vs. Arminians. Keepin' It Real Crew vs. The Joy Police. The list goes on. And on. And on. But in a turf war, if either side wins, in a way God loses. Or at least has a lot more pain, lies and ugliness to work through in bringing about His victory. Guess Satan is at work after all. Why do we all labor so hard to help him out?
What if we trusted God to indwell people who didn't look, think, and behave like us? What if we trusted Him to teach us through the people we would prefer to change? What if, instead of trying to eliminate threats, we invested ourselves in striving to make sure not one of His sheep was lost?
That, I think, is what true unity would look like. But it would require laying down our right to tell God who His sheep are.
God will sort out the goats. Let's knock down some sacred cows instead. ("Mooooo.")
Love,
sacredcowtipper
