Presented August 23, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on 1 John 4:7-12
We know the Bible is a big book, full of lots of different themes—love, hope, grace, faithfulness. Interestingly, conflict is also a prominent theme of scripture.
We remember the Hebrews struggled in the wilderness; they were so uncomfortable that they even longed to return to their bondage in Egypt.
Many of Paul’s letters were written to encourage members of early churches that were navigating intense conflict.
Jesus frequently sparred with religious leaders. These struggles were so heated that on more than one occasion, people tried to kill Jesus. And yet Jesus stayed true to his convictions that God had better plans for all of creation, and therefore, he refused to shy away from conflict.
Most conflict isn’t so much about malice as it is differences of opinion. We have different perspectives which are valid, but as soon as we dip our toes into the waters of conflict, we quickly pull out and turn to unhelpful band-aid solutions that give us a false sense of stability. But these unresolved issues will find a way of popping up over and over again until we finally address them. So the question is: how do we work our way through conflict; how to we hold one another amidst the discomfort, and then move forward after all of the turbulence?
It seems that church conflict is an inherent part of our being since the very beginning, and this is because we are all broken and flawed people and we care so deeply for this important institution in our lives.
John’s first letter, for example, is a document addressing a congregation that has suffered a division among its members. In verse 19 of chapter 2, John acknowledges that “they went out from us, but they did not belong to us.”
John’s statement even acknowledges that sometimes we grow apart—we all have our own boundaries and sometimes we need to go our separate ways. Still, in the midst what was most likely a great amount of hurt, anger, and sin, John encourages these early believers not to lose hope. He assures them that they are on the right path. In each of our chapters, whether together or apart, during our glory years or in the lean times, God has plans for our lives and our churches.
Notice that John doesn’t offer any quick fixes. He also doesn’t rail against conflict. It is a fact of life. But, most importantly, he offers us a way to hold on in the midst of the storm: keeping love as our core.
“Let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God … God is love.”
We are to love one another, just as Jesus taught. That’s what it’s all about even when we disagree and even if we go in different directions.
John reminds us that God loves us so much that we have been saved through Jesus’ great sacrificial act of love. Our sins no longer keep us from God. And so as a response to God’s love for us, we should love one another, boldly. If we love one another, God lives in us! Wow! Talk about empowering!
John had probably heard both sides of the conflict—all of the accusations, all the hearsay, all the drama. There was also surely some level of complexity to such issues. There are always two sides to every story. And yet John remains undeterred. He doesn’t offer any easy solutions, but he declares that our shared love of God and one another is more than enough to get us through to a better place. John reminds us all that the core of our very being and the core of our churches is that God loves us and we are to love one another. And because of this deep love, we also have faith and trust in God and in one another. Are our churches places of love? As individuals, do we treat one another with love?
Dr. John Mackie was the president of the Church of Scotland after World War II. With two other ministers of a rather pious denomination, they traveled to a remote part of the Balkan Peninsula to check on missionaries they supported. The three clergymen visited an Orthodox priest in a small Greek village. Excited to see the visitors, the priest offered the pastors a glass of rare and expensive wine. Horrified, the two pious ministers refused. Dr. Mackie, on the other hand, took a glassful, sniffed it like a wine connoisseur, sipped it, and praised its quality. He even asked for another glass. The other two pastors were clearly upset by Dr. Mackie’s behavior.
Later, when they were all back in the Jeep again making their way down the bumpy road out of town, the two pastors turned to Dr. Mackie and asked, “So, you mean to tell us that you are the president of the Church of Scotland and an officer of the World Council of Churches and you drink?”
Dr. Mackie quipped back, “No, I don’t, actually. But SOMEBODY had to be a Christian!”
Yes, we get caught up in all the rules, who’s right and who’s wrong, all the while missing opportunities to show love and grace.
There will be fights in our lives and in the lives of our beloved churches. That’s just the way it is. But God’s love and the love we share with one another is much stronger than any conflicts we may face. Even in times of great conflict we still have power over how we behave and respond in the midst of all that is swirling around us—the ways in which we treat one another.
John urges us to keep love as the core of our being. This is what it’s all about. Our sin has been covered; if we mess up, try again tomorrow. Keep loving. Do small acts of love and big acts of love. Have faith that God has a plan for you, no matter the twists and turns that your life may take. Trust in the power of love and the power of God. It will be enough. And as Richard Rohr, the Franciscan priest and author, states, “If your only goal is to love, there is no such thing as failure.” Hallelujah! Amen.
