Conflict is an all too real by-product of the selfish side of human nature. All too often we find individuals, communities, nations, and at times the world consumed by turmoil over the inability to find common ground. History is inundated with tales of wars, riots, revolutions, and massacres brought about by the simple fact of particular disagreement over certain subjects. Blood has been spilled over religion, ethnicity,

nationality, policy, political alliance, or territorial gain. All the while the gains accomplished (with rare exceptions) often just lead to more conflict in the end. I watch as people debate how to solve the violence in the Mideast, the war in Ukraine, the racial issues abroad, social welfare concerns, or our immigration system here in the States. In our communities, we see persons of equal intelligence cast aspersions and insults upon each other and criticize the others’ statements when they are all seeking the same thing. Aren’t we all seeking prosperity, safety, and assurance for a brighter future? But we are going about it the wrong way, especially if you are a Christian. We are becoming mired in conflict.

The Apostle Paul wrote an earth-shattering set of scriptures in his letter to the church in Ephesus (The Letter to the Ephesians). The Gospel of Christ took root in Ephesus early on in the history of Christianity. It became filled with influences from around the Roman Empire, where new Christians would be tempted by urban excesses and frightened by persecution. The faith of the Ephesians and their determination to remain steadfast in their devotion to Christ, despite these challenges, encouraged Paul. In the face of such turmoil and persecution from the outside world, Paul writes words that have echoed down the centuries to the Christian communities of today. He wrote in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

We are fighting the wrong war.

I can only speak in expertise to the local Christian community, but I feel as though my words apply to a much wider audience. Here is the truth: we have forgotten who the true enemy is in our lives and relationships. We have turned our frustrations, our hatred, our venom upon the very creation of God. We begin to look at persons around us as the enemy as opposed to victims, like ourselves, of the various evils that inundate our society.

We cast persons into categories that make them easier to despise or ignore. We lump them into identities like progressive or conservative, liberal or traditional, that span the range from our politics to our religious identities or denominational preferences. Some poor souls relish in this identity, they proudly claim their allegiance and label that society has thrust upon them. In doing so (as we all have done at some point) we create idols out of sand that blow in the wind and become tethered to an identity that only separates us from others. As Christians, our allegiance must belong to Christ and Christ alone. That same Christ who died for ALL peoples so that a message of hope and reclamation could be gifted to ALL nations. Jesus was the first to instill the concept that all persons were of equal value, not under the sight of humanity’s jaded eyes, but under the sight of God. So, Christians, why do we persist in waging war against flesh and blood?  Why do we persist in separating ourselves from the desperate world around us and see with eyes of judgment and/or contempt?

Why do we do this?  Because it is easy.

It is easier to wage war against flesh and blood because it is something we can see and label. We can look upon a person and find a quality we find deterring and then subject that person’s whole being to something negative. And, once again, we foolishly embrace these subjugations. This is why we have people now who identify their whole lives upon their sexuality, gender, politics, or nationality. It is because we have allowed the powers of darkness in this world to identify us or mold our minds to despise that which we disagree with. We have neglected the hard task that Christ instituted when he called us to teach his commands to ALL peoples, to Baptise ALL peoples, to make disciples of ALL peoples. Instead, we seek to make disciples of those who only think like we do, act like we do, and agree with all our thoughts and viewpoints. Those will not be disciples; they will be just another faction of this fractured and segmented world.

Jesus ate with sinners, he healed sinners, and above all, he grew sinners into the Apostles. The twelve original leaders of the church had committed egregious sins. Peter had committed acts of violence, Paul was a persecutor of the church and complicit in the murder of Christians, Matthew swindled his people as a tax collector, Thomas doubted Jesus’s divinity, James and John tried and assumed Christ’s authority, Nathaniel insulted Jesus (see John 1:43-44), Simon was a supposed militant radical (aka Zealot). The commonality of all these followers (other than their flaws and sins) was their ultimate declaration of Christ as Lord. It was this commonality that compelled them into the world to preach a universal message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Now, they had disagreements about the method or the audience, but they were unified in the purpose and the power of the message. They knew that their disagreements would be sorted out by God’s grace and that humanity was not the enemy but a victim in need of restoration. They knew their truest identity was in Christ and Christ alone.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, we have got to stop waging war against flesh and blood but against hatred, poverty, abuse, addiction, and the degradation of human life. We have got to stop putting our faith in powers and authorities built by human hands, and we have got to stop identifying with anything other than Christ. Enough blood has been spilled because we refused to accept this truth. Enough churches have been fractured, divided, and misguided. Enough people have been turned away from the refuge of the church because they found it just as corrupted by the hatred of this world. Our fight must return against the forces of evil that wreak havoc upon humanity, and our identity must belong solely to Christ and Christ alone.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement stated, “Let all true Christians remain united; let us not be divided among ourselves. Is your heart right in Christ as my heart is with yours in Christ? I ask no further questions; give me your hand.  For the sake of mere opinions or terms let us not destroy the work of God.”

Let us stop fighting the wrong war, my friends.

— 

Pastor Mike McVey

Minister – First United Methodist Church, Fairfield TX

ACS Chaplain – United States Coast Guard, Station Galveston TX