The War Between the States

This past weekend my bride and I watched a small re-enactment of the battle between the Blue and Gray on a main street in the little town of Jefferson, Texas. Hundreds of men, young and old, were dressed in their uniforms, carrying black powder rifles and swords, and re-creating the days when our Nation was divided by hatred and bitterness. Cannons were fired and ladies in hoop-skirted dresses cared for the “wounded.”

While many in our Nation are busy trying to erase the memory of those dreadful years, history is history, and it never changes – even when some would take away the reminders.

The Church of Jesus Christ has its divisions and struggles just as America did. I am a proponent of making an attempt to refine our actions in the present so that our “history” is not an ugly mess when we see it later on as we age. There are so many stories of how the “blue and gray fought during the days, and gathered around campfires to share rations and stories in the evenings. In the un-Civil War, some families had siblings on both sides. And while there was much division, there was always the knowledge that both Blue and Gray were Americans.

The Church has many factions, but most Churches have a smattering of folks who are rightly related to Christ and moving toward Spiritual maturity. It is my contention that we need to foster that growth, refine our thinking to embrace only the Truth, and work together to build a Biblical world view that will counter the destructive tendencies of our society.

There are those who will never concede, change, forgive, or llove, but there are many who are looking to reassert their allegiance to Christ and the Truth. It is a responsible person who learns the Truth, and is set free by that Truth.  (John 8:31-32) Afterwards, there are the righteous fruits of peace and joy. Real hope abounds, and men and women dwell together in genuine llove. Nowhere is that prohibited by God’s revealed Word.

Just do it!