Who Needs Enemies With Brothers Like These?

            It’s
something that I can’t really do anything about until I’m back home, which is
frustrating for me. Regardless, GOD has placed something on my heart, and it’s
probably not what you’d expect. It’s not the needs of hungry children, the
healing of the brokenhearted or the redemption of a nation struggling to find
truth in the darkness, although all of those things are important. But no, HE
has given me something that I can’t presently act on, requiring a complete
trust in HIM to start the movement on HIS own.

            You
see, the thing GOD has put on my heart is Christians. Confused? I can’t blame
you, I guess. I know that this blog is going to be a touchy subject, and I
wouldn’t be surprised if it hit too close to home and you don’t finish reading
this. So, I dare you to surprise me.

            Nothing
talked about is meant to have myself be commended for being “a good Christian”
or anything like that, I’m saying this to explain the situation from my
perspective. I grew up in the Church of Christ. In fact, I’ve gone to a church
of Christ almost every Sunday of my life until training camp.

            Therefore,
I have basically known one style of worship, one perspective on the Bible, one
group of like-minded people my entire life. In church we had one way of doing
things, one way to view life and GOD and others, and we were taught that one
way to do things every time we attended. There was no question raising, no
radical thinking and no instruments. That’s “just the way it is.” Isn’t it fun
to never be challenged?

            Now,
understand that I’m not writing this to bash Churches of Christ, I believe that
this issue applies to every denomination. You may be thinking “How would you
know? You’ve been in the same denomination your whole life!” You are correct.

            But
my problem is not with which denomination, but that there are denominations in
the first place. Why do they even exist? “We have differing opinions” “How we
take the Scriptures” “How often we take communion”

            How
about we have denominations because of Satan? (I do not take complete credit
for this answer, but I’m very thankful for being provided with a one word
answer to the question that began this topic. So, thank you, friend.)

            If
you are not utterly offended by that question, then I commend you. Maybe you’ve
been through AIM training camp and you’ve been taught that you have no right to
be offended anyway.

            This
past week I have gotten very frustrated with denominations. To put it gently:
Denominations are a bunch of crap. I’m tired of the “Pentecostal this” or
“Baptists that” or “Church of God is NOT Church of Christ” white noise. (Note:
White noise is used here in reference to talk that is very loud and obnoxious
but does absolutely nothing productive whatsoever.) What I find even more crazy
is that there are churches within the same denomination that loathe being
associated with each other. For instance, I know of people that go to a Church
of Christ that think the church that I go to, also a Church of Christ, is crazy
and radical. (I don’t know why, unless it’s our use of a praise team and power
point that is somehow deemed insane.) Not only are we divided as denominations
instead of being one church, but we also aren’t unified in our self-produced
cliques.

            Do
you know what the two greatest commandments are? “Love the LORD your GOD with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” and “Love
your neighbor as yourself.”

            My
issue is that we can’t even follow these two, the greatest, commandments that
our LORD and SAVIOR gave us. Why are we concerned with how often we take
communion or a certain worship style? To appease more people? I’m sorry to say
it, but if your church needs to cater to your every preference, 1: You will
never find one and 2: I’m pretty sure your church going doesn’t have much to do
with JESUS or HIS followers.

            So,
why are we letting disunity happen within the body of CHRIST in any form,
especially such small issues? “Some of us have spent so much time fighting what
we are against that we can barely remember what we are for” (Shane Claiborne The
Irresistible Revolution [IR] p. 309).

            All
Christians are our brothers and sisters. Mark 9:40 says “For whoever is not
against us is for us.” I can’t think of anyone more “Not against us” than other
Christians. “Make every effort to keep the unity of the SPIRIT through the bond
of peace. There is one body and one SPIRIT – just as you were called to one hope
when you were called – one LORD, one faith, one baptism; one GOD and FATHER of
all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:3-5).

            If
we can’t even love each other and keep our unity as the body of CHRIST, how do
we have any hope to follow the instruction to love our enemies? (See Matthew
5:43-48)

            We
are called to unity, and we are called to love everyone. And I mean everyone.
Isaiah 58:6-7 says “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the
chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to
provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” That’s how we are supposed
to love others, and we should do it while in unity with our brothers in CHRIST.

            We
are to love those we don’t agree with, those that are different, those that we
don’t want to, but CHRIST can change us. “When we have new eyes, we can look
into the eyes of those we don’t even like and see the ONE we love” (IR 266).

            Allow
yourself to be transformed. I’ve already dared GOD to make progress of unity by
the time I return to America, so I pray HE opens hearts and opens doors and
starts the revolution within each of you.

            And
about the “others,” be open and honest. Don’t hold back. “If people really knew
what idiots we are, in all our brokenness and vulnerability, they would know
that they can give this thing a shot too” (IR 254).