United We Stand; Divided We Fall: Finding Common Ground
As one of the first CFAITH Communities members, I remember back to when it first launched. They were going to call it "Common Ground Communities," a name derived from the premise that--although we have a lot of folks from different walks of Christianity--most of us are able to find common ground with one another (on some plane at least). I liked the name "Common Ground" because it really drove home the point that Christians can find Common Ground and work together for the Kingdom, even if they don't agree on much.
In my own life experience, I always hate it when a pastor gets up and starts making fun of Lutherans. I was raised Lutheran, and we (gasp!) had devotions together as a family, prayed together, and were definitely believers. Then of course there's the flip side: I heard a lot of Lutherans take stabs at those "non-denominational fruit loops" who "jump around and swing from the chandeliers" (or something of that equivalent).
Hyperbole aside, I believe it's time to stop bickering over small issues that divide us. Remember how those darn little foxes spoil the vine? (Song of Solomon 2:15) Every member of the Body has something to contribute, whether we totally agree with their theology or not. I'm not advocating "anything goes" here, but if someone's a believer, what's the point of disassociating from them if they don't pray in tongues or believe in prosperity?
So what if someone likes to run up and down the aisles; so what if someone likes to quietly worship rather than clap and dance; so what if women wear makeup or not; so what if someone is pre-trib, post-trib, or whatever-trib! Looking in the New Testament, it's pretty clear that Jesus used a lot of folks from different walks of life. Do you think he waited until their theology was perfect before He used them for His purposes?
What does all this pettiness accomplish for the Kingdom? Think of the countless hours Christians from all denominations spend squabbling about minor issues: couldn't that time be better used for witnessing, feeding the poor, reaching out, making disciples, and bringing light into a lost and dying world?
I doubt the division and segmentation we have today is what Christ envisioned for His church. Perhaps Aesop said it best when he quipped: "United we stand; divided we fall." I think that rings very true for Christianity today.