En garde...

"Life is hard, and then you die."

For me, this statement sums up human existence and spells out my expectations for what life will throw my way.  I am a realist.  I don't expect life to be easy.  In fact, when things come too smoothly I tend to be suspicious of them, wondering when the shoe will drop.

I think most people probably accept the truth of that catch phrase, even if they wouldn't state it quite that baldly.  Life is an ongoing struggle from birth to death, even when things are relatively good.  We never know for certain what is ahead, no matter how carefully we plan or tightly we try to control things.  All families have hard times and difficult moments - it is simply a matter of time before it will be our turn.

As Christians, we are blessed with an additional family in the Spirit.  We look to our church family for stability, comfort and support, counting on it, and the people within, to be there when we need them.  It is easy to become comfortable with our church life, our expectations based on superficial experience.  We show up on Sunday morning for the service, shake a hand or two, greet our acquaintances, and go back to our "real" lives with very little thought for what is going on behind the scenes.  But in reality, our churches are made up of the individuals who comprise the congregation, and the lives and struggles of those people affect our life as a Christian community.

My congregation has been through a great deal of struggle in the years since we were founded.  We have, over the 20 plus years I have been a member, had a number of events occur which threatened to split the family, cataclysmic moments that forced us well out of our comfort zone and into a place of uncertainty, fear, and grief.

Unfortunately, another such moment is upon us, and I think there is a certain amount of disbelief that we find ourselves at the precipice once again.  I fear for the family circle as we face yet another conflict not entirely of our own making. The mixture of emotions, as volatile as any family gathering, are threatening to boil over. We are floundering, feeling lost and alone, struggling to understand in the midst of confusion and grief how a body that is trying to follow the example of Jesus could have so much difficulty finding our way.  It is all too easy to lay blame and search for the scapegoat instead of reaching forward and looking towards the solution for the future.

We are not alone, of course.  The church has struggled since the beginning, and Christians have never had the easy road to follow.  From the moment Jesus was born he began his journey to the cross, and our way has been clear ever since.

Early Christians struggled both with the hostile forces outside, as well as the fear and uncertainty within.  They didn't know who to trust, they weren't sure what to believe, they didn't know how to move forward, and they often risked falling into the Devil's snare as they negotiated the rough waters in the early life of the church.  Much of Paul's ministry was spent uplifting and supporting those early churches in their fledgling faith, bringing hope and encouragement to the weary and discouraged followers of Christ.

The divisions among the early Christians crystallized as each side followed their chosen leader, threatening the very foundation of their faith and the church body.  Paul, ever impatient, unafraid to speak his mind in search of the way to salvation, repeatedly took the fractious believers to task, reminding them of who was the true head of the church, and where they would find their ultimate guidance.  In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 3:21,23, Paul wrote,

"So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours... and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God."

He went on in Chapter 16:13-14 to exhort the faithful to,

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.  Do everything in love."

It is tempting to direct our faith and adoration towards the leader who brings God's message to us each week.  But it is misguided to imagine that anyone, even a pastor or congregational leader, supersedes the importance of the family circle which God has created for us.  There is only one head of the family, and there is only one head of the church.  We must be on our guard against the havoc that evil can wreak; regardless of the turmoil or strife ongoing, when God is directing our progress, we can overcome whatever Satan throws in our path.

Whether it is our earthly family or our spiritual family that is in conflict, we can do no better than to heed the words of Paul, and do everything in love as Jesus himself commanded.  The only way to peace and spiritual reconciliation is to love one another as he has first loved us.  That is my prayer for all of God's family in turmoil today.

Amen.