Word on the Way - Romans 12:16

Word on the Way is a passage sent out daily by Way.FM

Saturday, May 29
Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

It is so hard to live like this. Really, do we really live in harmony? If you've ever seen a symphony play, everything is on time and works out perfectly so that the listeners get the full and beautiful effect. People want to come and see and hear the beautiful harmony that our conductor points us to. What would it look like for the church to be in harmony? Right now we just sound like we're warming up, catching up on the symphony gossip, our backs turned to our conductor. Some of us are off playing our on songs. Some of us are playing the song we're supposed to playing but we're off time, or only including our section. Imagine if you heard Beethoven's third with only the percussion, or just the cello's. Do you really think that would sound good? So, why do we think that it's going to work in the church?

This is not an accusation saying I'm better than anyone. To be honest that would just make me even worse. I know that I can't get it right. I struggle every day with this. I want to be in harmony, I want to enjoy the company of others, but I'm the one who thinks I know it all.

Yesterday, I was kicking a soccer ball around near where I am about to move next week. The field is across from a housing project. I could see the invisible wall keeping the blacks in and the whites out. It was like a different country. The church is the same way, as an Anglican there are invisible walls thrown up whenever I speak to a Baptist or Presbyterian. God is weeping over Jerusalem. We are the new Jerusalem and we are failing. We need to repent and lay down our arms instead of attacking each other. We need to lay down our pride and look to God for direction, discipline and unity. We need to stop the mindless theological arguments, stand up for orthodox and authentic Christianity, while unifying around our Savior's last words - the commission to go out making disciples of all men. We do this not for our pride, or our glory, or our fame; we do it because God loved us and so in our reception of that love we conform to His image, follow His heart, and love Him back.