Whistling Feet & Other Nonsense

The Church, in Scripture, has many names. One of those names speaks to our diversity more than any others. Often referred to as the "Body of Christ" we see the church as something that is whole but possessing many members. How does this picture fit in with how we define church?

I can never expect my leg to operate the same way that my eye operates. I don't expect my toes to hear or my feet to whistle. The point of these nonsensical suggestions is to capture your attention. The body (our human bodies) have different members. They all have their part to play. Your heart cannot do the job of your liver & your kidneys cannot act as your sweat glands. There is a purpose to all of the differing parts. The older I get, the more I appreciate the functionality of each of them.

It's references like these in the Bible that remind me of the importance of diversity in the Body of Christ. We recognize, affirm, and appreciate all of the various members. Scripture doesn't command us to be of the same theological stances or hold to the same doctrinal views/practices, but it does teach us be of the same mind and to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Can I get an AMEN?

With all of the advances we have seen in the Church, why is this becoming more problematic? Why are we still so bent on our denominational thinking (there are only thousands of Christian denominations)? How is it possible that we can even consider that our particular camp has a corner on the truth? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate our willingness to think through doctrine and to have the most accurate interpretations; but the reality is that not every believer has the same opinion.

I recently read about a church where the pastor drew a 2 mile circle around the building location. Within that circle were thousands of people. If they were to reach each & every person within that 2 mile circle, their current facility would not hold them all. The demographics of that 2 mile circle also demonstrated the need for various kinds of churches. There is not one particular flavor of Christianity that could reach them all. Which, to be honest, is an idea that many denominational leaders have a hard time swallowing.

Thankfully, I grew up with a little bit of variety in church culture. I spent most of my early years in two different denominations. I was able to glean things from both of them. Later on in life I became familiar with the charismatic variety of Christianity. I was saved while attending an Independent Baptist Church, licensed/ordained in a Southern Baptist Church, maintained fellowship & preached in some charismatic churches, and have learned to appreciate them all. While I'm not a big fan of denominational thinking, I understand the need for variety. I have also determined to keep the unity of the Spirit with them all.

The body needs elbows, knees, and eyelids. Without them we don't operate properly. While there are some things we can definitely agree upon, the one main thing that unites us all is the person of Jesus. What if we looked at our brothers & sisters from different churches to see the family resemblance rather than our differences? What if we determined to love one another as Jesus commands and set aside some of our disagreements? When we keep it on a relational level, it is difficult for us to create separation. To separate myself from a denominational machine is easy. However, to separate myself from a person is all together different.

This morning the thought occurred to me that we will always struggle to teach our kids about peer pressure when the church culture they grow up in creates such a superiority complex. There are churches out there that say:
Believe exactly what we believe.
Carry the exact same Bible that we carry.
Dress the exact same way we dress.
Listen to the same exact music we listen to.
And the list goes on and on.
Where, in any of that type of thinking, do we learn to appreciate diversity? What if church was a place where love was expressed & experienced? What if we develop a Culture of Honor that learns to empower people rather than disempower? What if we spent more time developing a strong identity in Christ & confidence in the father heart of God? This, to me, is one of our glaring failures. Is it any wonder that many people reject organized religion? They have seen/heard our disagreements. I remember talking to a man on the phone several years ago who was looking for a church. Once he discovered the denomination we were a part of, he could tell me everything that was wrong with us. Unfortunately, this is all too common.

Whether or not we agree with this statement, the truth is:
There will be believers who disagree on hell & eschatology. There will be believers who have differing views on God's power & sovereignty, the atonement, & church leadership. There will be believers who vote Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, etc. There will be believers who have different views on some of the hot button social issues of our day. There will be believers who allow women to teach and some who don't.

Some of those statements may be hard for you to swallow. I get it. I used to be one of those who questioned the authenticity of someone's faith if we disagreed on what I thought were major issues. Some may ask, "Where do we draw the line then?" My answer would be that I don't know that I draw any lines. I have my beliefs. I don't have to validate everyone else's. What I can do is love everyone. I can appreciate their sincere devotion to Christ. I can view them as my brother & sister even if we don't agree on theology/doctrine. I can be at peace with them and them at peace with me. It's all about our mentality.

If we took the same approach to human life the way we have with church life what would it look like? Would we only associate with the blond hair blue eyed crowd? Would our brothers/sisters dress the same, have the same hairstyles, and only have 10 fingers & toes? Would we shun people and discredit them if they were in a wheelchair or had to use braces to walk? How would we handle the overweight or anorexic? The point is that humanity is full of diversity. Is it any wonder that our churches are as well? Where does LOVE draw the line? What does LOVE not cover? This is how ALL MEN WILL KNOW that we are His disciples: LOVE ONE ANOTHER.