Where is the Love

Hatred, Bigotry, and Disunity

Mark 9:38-42 (NKJV)

Jesus Forbids Sectarianism

“Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. “

Even as early as this, before the church had begun, Jesus knew there would be sectarianism – or different groups believing different things with a different spin on “their” group to make it both unique and “the only true group”. We call this denominationalism today.

I have been watching FB recently and the hatred and venom being spewed out by “Christians” is astonishing.  I am not surprised by the lack of unity. I am not surprised at the attacks on Christians and Christianity – these were all foretold by the prophets, and Jesus warned us about them. No, very little of what is happening is a surprise. The surprise is in the “internal” vehemence and brutality; in the hatred and contempt; in the total lack of respect for another’s views. The total lack of love.

Yet Jesus forbade this very thing. He prayed for ‘complete’ unity. In John 17:21 He prayed, “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Even so, that which I see on FB grieves the Lord immensely. It is against everything He stands for and spoke about. No wonder the Church is in such disarray at this time. No wonder folk look at the church and wonder what all the fuss was about. We are no different, and in some cases, even worse than anything the world offers.

Jesus only left us with two commandments – to love God and to love one another. Can we not at least try to show a little more love? Certainly we must show less hatred, less grumbling, less murmuring, less disunity, and less arrogance in insisting that “we are the only way”. NO – Jesus is the only way, no-one comes to the Father except through Him.

I will confront hatred and bigotry whenever I see it. I will not be silenced by anyone’s name or position. Where there is sin, I will politely point it out. If that doesn’t work, I will go public in my questioning of the attitudes displayed. I will not sit in judgement of anyone – that is between them and God. However, I will not have hatred and bad-mouthing on my timeline – not from anyone. I will do the only things in my power to do – expose and block. Most only keep doing it because they get the reaction and resultant attention. Ignore them and they will stop soon enough.