"So," they say, "nobody's perfect!"
But the Vinedresser won't buy that.
Given the opportunity, He will trim the unproductive suckers and shape the branches so each one will bask in Sonlight.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Loving Differences

          Maybe we'd get bored if we didn't have something to keep us busy between watching mindless TV, expending ourselves in sports, going to church, or enduring our despised jobs. So we kill time by engaging in ideological and religious warfare--politics by any other name stinks just as much.
          But we're more sophisticated than those towel-headed mumblers of the Middle East. We don't blow people up or shoot folks--for the most part--simply because of our religious differences. We prefer to assassinate the character of those with whom we lovingly disagree by spreading malicious half-truths and generalizations.
          An example of our Christian jihads is battling over God's name ... in God's name. We who insist He's YaHWeH bitterly brand Jehovah's Witnesses as cultists, while they brand us as apostate.
          Another battle ground is the Sabbath. Most Christians favor worshiping on "the Lord's day," while some insist the Sabbath is God's chosen day of rest. And never the twain shall meet.
          Then there's the end times debate, or Eschatology, if you're one of the theologically elite. You're certainly a better Christian if you're a pre-millennialist, or not.
          And we can't forget our divine sovereignty battle ground. Some like to consider themselves eternally secure while others can only make it to heaven by living holy ... with lots of euphemisms for what others call sinning. Both sides claim to love the same Savior, yet they usually refuse to unite in His worship.
          Our lists of differences are practically endless. We exhibit incredible creativity at finding issues to debate, but finding common ground(or a common Rock on which to stand) is beyond us. I can imagine King Jesus sitting on His heavenly throne, weeping over our failure to love one another between fits of laughter at our infantile antics.

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