The scandal of the Christian...
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The scandal of the Christian church has been its divisiveness. There are Catholics and Protestants, and each are subdivided into separate groups, who rival one another as proponents of the truth. How far they fall short of Paul's hope that they be of the same mind! Such discord would end if all obeyed the biblical injunction to "consider the ant and be wise." Ants organize into a colony and each ant has its work to do, which it does with great diligence, collaborating in an effort which is for the good of all. When I was a substitute on my football squad at a large high school in Detroit, the team was loaded with talent and was expected to win the city championship. But for some reason the rival high schools were able to beat our team, usually by a single touchdown. After lamenting some losses, the cause of the defeats was found. One of our tackles had not learned well the signals which our quarterback was barking out before each play. Instead of following the call, he was waiting for teammates on either side of him to move, then he would lurch forward to block out his opponent. Part way through the game, rival teams became aware of his slight delay and took advantage of it. Their lineman would move first and open a hole for the runner to rush through. A winning team requires that all players move as one, with full cooperation from every player. The church, too, must have unity if it is to conquer obstacles and grow. The Bible describes the acclaim of people outside the church by recording their admirable tribute: "Behold, how these Christians love one another." That is the only way the great Christian church universal can move forward. -- Lentz
