Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Do you remember the phrase that made Rodney King famous? According to police reports the night before the famous quote was uttered, Rodney was thinking a little differently.

Police reports states the following: King's girlfriend, JoAnne Naser, 22, of Rialto telephoned police Saturday and said King punched her in the stomach during an argument that began the previous night, police Sgt. Shawn O'Connell said.

In the last couple of days, I feel like unity in the church has taken a punch to stomach…a good old-fashioned kick to the groin.

Are we still at the point in our world where we believe that we are the only ones going to Heaven? Are we arrogant enough to think that we’ve got the market cornered on eternity? Do we accomplish anything for the kingdom by fighting with our own army?

Forget the Nazi’s, let’s fight our own men. Iraqi’s…why? We can kill our own troops right here…after all they’re so close to us. It takes less work, and they’re easy targets. I’m so ready to share the grace and love that God has shown me, I can’t fathom taking up arms against other followers of Christ.

I suppose “followers of Christ” is a relative term…at least to some. Who are we as fellow followers to determine salvation and authenticity of another? As far as I can tell, Christ himself didn’t walk the streets of Jerusalem looking for covenant members of Jerusalem Baptist. Instead, the One who sat at the right hand of His Father delighting in watching His dad hang the stars in the sky, searched out those desperate for a Savior.

As I search scripture, the only “church folks” that Christ took offense to were those who “knew” all of the law. It’s funny how those who knew the law best were the very ones that Christ called hypocrites. He uttered the phrase that they would never step foot in Heaven (see Matthew 23:13). Jesus says, “You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.”

Go Jesus, with your bad self! He didn’t mince words.

For every person you touch with the grace and forgiveness of Christ, there is a modern-day Pharisee around the corner sabotaging the effort.

Perhaps I reveal a bit of my heart here. Perhaps my disdain for the modern-day Pharisee exposes a heart that is no different than theirs. I’ll pray that I’m convicted by the Spirit for a heart change, if indeed one is needed. But today, I pray that those who follow Christ search out those who so desperately need Him instead of taking pop shots at those who fight in the same army.

God, please confirm in my heart that your grace is big…bigger than that required by the Pharisees of today. I’m simply not good enough, if you require what they do.

Friendly fire kills.