- From John 7
Even the Son of God . . . whose fame was on the increase, had to be careful about going out and about. He was not "affiliated" with the mob of people that were out to get Him, which put Him at great risk.
And it puts us at great risk, too, today. If you're not in the right sect, or denomination, or party, or family . . . . it can actually be dangerous to go out on your own, exposed to the whims of the mob.
And really, that's what parties and denominations are. They're mobs. They're one group of people that have ganged up on all the others, in order to create leverage for its members. Yes, I know there are economies of scale that help larger groups cut costs and build up a greater pile of resources. I know that churches and non-profits and service clubs do a lot of good. I run a non-profit myself. I'm a member of a local church. But you're still either with us, or not. And if you're on the outside . . . well, you're just going to be different. Your effectiveness is limited, because you're divided. And does Christ really want our effectiveness limited?
Jesus, when He was back in his home town, found Himself in the wrong group. And His family, and friends, and acquaintances, that knew Him best, were not rallying around Him, as families and community members should.
This was the first expression of Christian denominationalism in history: the people from Christ's own orbit, that broke with him, in order to keep themselves in some good standing with . . . whoever.
Unity requires us to take care of each other. It's not happening today. True, we may not have torture . . . yet . . . but when a person is afraid to articulate a moral, theological, or political point because of what may happened to them . . . then what difference is it, really, whether or not they endure physical torture? The effect is the same.
Even the Master of Time and space avoided the partisan crowd.
But there shouldn't be a partisan crowd, to begin with.
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