February 15 – Division

        Matthew 10:34f – "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies will be the members of his own household."

        In my local hometown newspaper, there is one whole page reserved for church service advertisements, business advertisements for those who support such activity (at least in name), and for a short devotional (such as this one), written by a member of the local clergy association. A non-clergy member is not allowed to offer any advice in said column. (After all, it is a free column in the newspaper, and there must be some regulations as to who can spout free spiritual advice.) In one February 2019 issue, the writer speaks about the need for brotherly love in our politically polarized country, and for the same globally. He is correct; there is much need for love in action in the United States these days, especially when one understands and practices the action of love as described in 1 Corinthians 13.

         However, there was one statement in the column that was vague, but unitarian in nature: "Divisive politics, fractured religion, the Cowboys versus the Redskins...we focus too much on what makes us different, instead of what brings us together, namely the call to love one another." I can't tell from this statement if the writer is addressing this to Christians only, or to us and the world at large. If he is writing to Christians only, then his sentence makes perfect sense, admonishing us to show love in action. Jesus did say that the world would know that we are his followers by our love for our fellow followers (John 13:35).

        The problem comes into the picture if the writer is address his statement to U.S. residents in general. Not everyone is a Christ-follower in this country; as a matter of fact, the majority are not. Therefore, it is not expected that sinners act like saints, to love someone in general, much less someone with whom they disagree or dislike. What brings us together as a nation of believers and non-believers is the U.S. Constitution, namely the Bill of Rights put forth in the first ten amendments. That coming together is sometimes only an agreement to have the right to disagree with each other. When the Spirit of God brings repentance and forgiveness to the new believer, he starts to work in the Christian to change his actions, in keeping with the repentance that originally changed his mind and opened his blinded eyes to his true spiritual condition and standing in God's eyes. As the cultural morality continues to decline in this nation, our disagreement as believers with the same will continue to grow as well, causing an even greater divide among our fellow countrymen. Therefore, in the midst of a moral dilemma, there will be strife and arguments, as Jesus stated in the leading scripture to this devotional.

        The questions, then, are thus: Will we believers speak the truth in boldness, but with gentleness and kindness, not in a mean-spirited way? Can we show respect for a person to have the right to speak his opinion, without needing to respect the opinion. Several times in the New Testament, we are commanded to "hate what is evil, and to cling to what is good" (Romans 12:9; 1 Thess. 5:21, 22). When Jesus caustically confronted the Pharisees for their self-righteous hypocrisy (Matthew 23:1-39), was he not speaking the truth in love? He had to point out the evil that they were promulgating. Did he hate them for their sinfulness? Or did he hate the sin living inside a creature that God loved?

        The balance for Christians is a tough one – loving the sinner, but hating the sin. May God teach us how to love sinful people, while still standing for the truth that can rescue them.