Yesterday was Father’s Day; a time to celebrate the dads is our lives and to give them honor for their service to their families.  Yesterday was also the day, on this very occasion, that my family and I went to a restaurant, one that we had never been to before to celebrate my husband.  What happened when we arrived kind of blew my mind.

After arriving the first hostess asked us whether we wanted to be seated outside or inside.  Since we were by the water and the day wasn’t terribly hot we thought outside seating would be nice so that we could watch the boats come in and out of the harbor.  She then proceeded to direct us to the outside seating host.  This is where our pleasant day turned unpleasant.

The outside host asked us how many and we told him five.  Looking to a member of our party who was dressed in his military uniform, the host began to take cheap jabs at him; asking him don’t you want to come over to our branch of the military?  He politely stated no.  After another attempt and another no, this host then turned to other customers and started to make a derogatory remark concerning the branch of the military the member in our party was representing as opposed to his.

Needless to say, we were all pretty dumbfounded at this arrogant and rude host.  Here, we came to this restaurant to eat and one of the members of our party, unprovoked, gets verbally attacked by the employee who is supposed to be serving us just because he is in a different branch of the military than he.  It was a bit unsettling for a time when we were supposed to be celebrating.

This got me to thinking how often we do this in the church.  How often are we found fighting amongst ourselves, in our own congregations or even with different denominations because they serve differently than we do?

John, the disciple of Jesus said one day, “Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we fobade him, because he followeth not with us.  And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us,” (Luke 9:49-50).

Instead of rebuking the one who was accused that “he followeth not with us,” Jesus set the record straight among His own disciples that they should not be focusing on some sort of reason for division, for Jesus said, “For he that is not against us is for us.”

Too often great emphasis is put on how one group may do things differently as opposed to another group or how one may work that gift that God has given them over another.  One may not care for the way another does something for God’s kingdom but Jesus Himself said, “For he that is not against us is for us.”  If he or she is working to build up the kingdom of God, don’t forbid them just because they are not following what you are doing.  Don’t forbid them just because they are not in your clique.  Don’t forbid them because they worship differently than you do.

There is no room for division in the body of Christ.  There is no room for in-fighting amongst the members of God’s family.  The Apostle Paul put it like this by saying, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12).

In 1 Corinthians 1:12-13, attempting to squash division, Paul said, “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”

Over and over again we see the Bible proclaim unity among God’s people and division to be put away with.  Jesus Himself prayed, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou has sent me,” (John 17:21).  Is this why the world can’t see the Christ in us and believe because there is too much in-fighting?  Does our rejection of another who “followeth not with us,” push the world away from believing in the Christ whom we proclaim?

In regard to the Scriptures and Jesus’ own prayer, I would have to say, “Yes.”  Let us learn from our Lord and say, “For he that is not against us is for us;” and let us work to build up God’s kingdom together.  We are all fighting in the same war.  Let’s edify one another and not tear down.