Grow Up in Love

          I once preached at a church that had split over the decision of whether to paint or panel the church basement walls.  I hadn't experienced yet the depth of emotions and consequences  that can arise over such decisions.  It was hard for me to take it seriously.  I  didn't really understand the pain and anger that could still be present so when they asked me how I would have handled it, I answered very easy and glibly. 'Why not put paneling on the bottom half of the walls and paint the top half?'  I thought I was being wise when in reality, all I had accomplished was to show my ignorance.  I couldn't conceive of breaking up relationships and a congregation that had existed for so many years over such a thing.  However, the division was all too real.

         We experience how easy it is  for people to disagree, to become hurt and angry from the time we are children.  All one has to do is watch toddlers at play and observe the fights over toys and space which only get worse as children get hungry or tired.  The same things happen at school, at work, in our families.  It just gets harder to take our toys and go home.

        We would like the church to be different from other gatherings and institutions around us - a place of unity and peace.  But the Church is made up of people - imperfect as we all are.  We are a gathering of people in need of God's love and forgiveness made possible only by God's grace.  The pews (like our homes, work, school, and towns) contain people who will by turns exasperate and infuriate us and bring us to tears of joy and warm our hearts.  No where does Christ promise that we will always live in harmony.

         But Christ does promise to hold us in God's grace  and that is more than enough to strengthen us and root and ground us in God's love (1 John 3:17).   Like a tree whose roots hold it fast through storms and tempest, drawing up water from a deep and bottomless source and being nourished even in the hardest times, we stand and grow in God's love.  Our strength and unity comes from Christ who calls us "with all humility and gentleness, with patience" to bear one another in love and "make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace".

        Gentleness, humility, patience, love, and peace; these are the words of how we can "bear" to be with each other.  They are the mercy given to us as a gift through Christ's grace.  We are to put aside childish ways and "grow up in love".  Read 1 John 4:1-7.