Friday, March 11, 2011

I've been thinking about the antithesis of unity, which is of course division.  There is no debating the tragically divided condition of "The Church."  This is not a newly manifested thing.  The church began suffering division even in its earliest days, as demonstrated by many passages in Acts and the Epistles, and even the Gospel writers tell us of dissension among the Twelve while Yeshua was still physically with them, for that matter.

So, I'm certainly not going to try to argue that division amongst professing christians is new.  History abundantly and stubbornly belies that assertion.  Our human nature seems to compel us toward categorization and labelling.

However, in meditating on division and considering what the causes are and could be, I came to a very clear realization.  Not really startling or surprising in itself, but I was a bit surprised at myself for having overlooked it for so long.  Like many such realizations, it is something that is actually fairly obvious, but do we not often tend to look right past the obvious in favor of a less threatening alternative?

The realization is this: division is demonic.

Well, of course!  Who else has a vested interest in the debilitation, neutralization, indeed the complete annihilation, of the Body of Yeshua?

The more important realization is the corollary: If division is demonic, why are we not fighting it for all we are worth?  Why do we tolerate division?  Why do we, in fact, seem to CELEBRATE division?

For here is another related realization: "denomination" MEANS "division."  Well, it literally means "to be given a name," but the idea is to apply a unique NAME that will separate us from those with whom we disagree on even the smallest point of doctrinal interpretation and behavior.  When we "denominate" ourselves, we choose division over unity.

See, our determined construction of denominational walls is based on this: imposition of legalistic, narrow-minded codes of conduct structured around our stubborn adherence to worldly standards of interpretation of Yhvh's mitzvot.

I say "worldly standards of interpretation" because we are drawn to measurement and quantification and externally demonstrable evidences of our "holiness."  We want others to see us as pure, so we try to adopt behaviors that can be perceived as "godly"; and we impose our behavioral constructs on others - essentially to feed our own ego.  If they do not behave the way we expect them to behave, we deem them impure and unfit for inclusion in our version of righteousness.

Yhvh gave us one NAME to be called by.  His own.  I'm not advocating creation of yet another denomination that conjures up a moniker based on any particular version of "the name of God."  Plenty of those already around in any case.

I'm advocating brutal eschewance of any man-made NAMING convention.

I'm advocating repentance from our complacent, contented, delirious acceptance of our denominational status.

I'm advocating conscious removal and destruction of our denominational and other traditional baggage because it hinders us from pursuing an intimate relationship with Yhvh, which should be our chief desire.

4 comments:

Scrappy Grams said...

I have little optimism of a united church. When I was much younger and trying to make up my mind where I thought God wanted me to worship him, I did lots of research. When it came down to what I saw as the origin of faith, I figured I had to be Jewish or Catholic. From only two faiths, the decision became easier for me.
But starting with Luther, the slope got slippery and ...

Clint said...

First of all, Ed, thank you for your insightful comments on my blog today. You've actually given me another idea for a posting.

Excellent post! I do not know the answer to the division posed by denominations and such. I do agree that we should be one body, but we are not.

The latest thing---that began about 30 years ago---is this business of having separate services for "traditional" and "contemporary" worshippers. For some reason, that sticks in my craw big time. Man, don't get ME started!

boromax said...

Wow. That "traditional" "contemporary" separation in one congregation is one of my pet peeves, Clint. It takes division right into the same building!!

Dimple said...

"I say "worldly standards of interpretation" because we are drawn to measurement and quantification and externally demonstrable evidences of our "holiness." We want others to see us as pure, so we try to adopt behaviors that can be perceived as "godly"; and we impose our behavioral constructs on others - essentially to feed our own ego. If they do not behave the way we expect them to behave, we deem them impure and unfit for inclusion in our version of righteousness."

You describe pharisees quite well!

I think you are right when you call division in the Body demonic, and there are wonderful blessings attached to unity, which are detailed in Ps 133. But division is required between believers and those who claim to be believers, but are not: 2Th 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of us.

So, sometimes, when we are trying to distinguish between real and false brothers, we fall into fleshly sins such as pride and leave the way ourselves. I suspect this is why we are commanded to refrain from judgment of others...
It is a very narrow way, walking with Jesus!