We Must Allow Divisiveness to Die

This past weekend I was able to experience a wonderful event. My Grandparents got remarried and renewed their vows on saturday in front of our whole family. It was interesting because since it was my aunts and uncles and my cousins nobody that was there had seen them get married the first time. So that in and of itself was pretty cool to me. But anyway, my grandparents are Catholic and so the service was Catholic as well. Since I grew up Catholic I'm used to and dont mind the Catholic service (even though it is a little dry for my tastes). But the priest was a really cool guy and he kind of made fun those of us who aren't Catholic but then he got very serious and said that honestly it doesnt matter what denomination we are just so long as we are Christian and have the same core beliefs. I thought that this was well put and then we went on with the day we ate, had a good time and it pretty much slipped from my mind.

Then that night I hung out with Britt and her family and they showed me this pamphlet flyer thing that some people came around and handed out to them. Basically in a nutshell the flyer was saying that their church offers a real service and that no contemporary music was allowed and that they only preach from the King James Bible. In addition they had a little informational insert which said that nowadays a lot of differant kind of Jesus's are portrayed throughout many churches but that they preach and talk about the "real Jesus".

But this kind of mentality isnt isolated we could probably go around NorthPoint and ask how differant people feel about Catholics and Methodists and Episcipalians and I feel confident that more than a handful of people would have some trash to talk or something "unchristian" to say. A little denominational rivalry is fine but as Christians we have allowed it to turn into something completly differant. We have allowed ourselves to become divided and squabble within our own ranks. We live our lives in a war against the darkness and hate that inhabit this world. Yet by our own complacence we have allowed darkness and hate to enter into our churches by bashing other denominations who just worship differantly than we do.

This is positively absurd and the only real way to get beyond this is to stop thinking of people as having labels. Black, White, Chinese, Jew, Brazilian, French, English, Catholic, Baptist all of these are the same they confine people to a strict definition and dehuminize us all. We are all God's children and the only thing that he cares about is the contents of our hearts. So the next time you hear someone make a slight comment or the next time you yourself think of denouncing or making fun of another denomination remember not only does that not fall in line with God's desires but it actually runs contrary to it and is divisive in his kingdom.

(Personal apologies to Damon for making fun of his Bible choice...even though he does need to get a real one)