Resist! Object! Insist!

What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
But I desire to speak to the Almighty
and to argue my case with God.
...
Will you speak wickedly on God's behalf?
Will you speak deceitfully for him?
Will you show him partiality?
Will you argue the case for God?
...
Keep silent and let me speak;
then let come to me what may.
Job 13:2-13

We often feel the need to speak out against things and people we disagree with. As often as not we remain silent and unconfrontational, so as to avoid disagreement. There often seems to be more of silence directed upwards in the social hierarchy, and more words of dispute directed downwards to people below our station in life. And there is one particular case when it becomes exceedingly difficult to speak out, when people we consider holier than ourselves say something we disagree with. I´m not speaking primarily about the “Holier-than-Thou” characters that we usually see through as hypocrites, but to our actual role-models in faith. And there will be such occasions, one, because they are just as fallible as you are, two, because you are just as fallible as they are. And truly, if they are role-models, they ought to be ahead of you in the walk of faith, not behind. Still I would say: Object, for Heaven´s sake! Because if they are wrong, it´s a christian duty to correct them, and if you´re wrong and remain silent you will secretely believe you´re right and nothing changes. If there´s an argument, and one remains silent, both lose. I may think my counter-arguments crush the opposition as long as I keep them to myself. When I put them forward in public however, they often distinctly fail to make any kind of impact. And there´s often the case when both are mistaken, and it becomes appearant to everyone but themselves.

The real reason to object is of far greater importance than winning an argument. For the christian church is not a talk show or a discussion club. It´s a community of saints and a communion with God. To be silent when you´re heart and mind objects is to refuse the encounter with the other person´s heart and mind. It is to hold back and introduce a distance inbetween each other. It sounds completely impossible, but we are actually called to be of one mind. Often we hear the expression: “Let´s agree to disagree” used to patch things up after a quarrel. But let´s not! We can stand some dissension among us on the way towards unity, but it has to be acknowledged that it is and will remain an open wound until such a time and such a place we are of one mind. Naturally we all know that sometimes arguments become blatantly improductive, with no prospect of change. What I want to say is that we can never settle for a permanent cease-fire as a cheap substitute for real peace. Sometimes the peace talks have to be postponed until conditions improve. But if we truly love each other then peace is possible. We´ll not want to settle for less.

This goes for our relationship to God as well. In christian mystique the bride and her groom is often used as a metaphor of the relation between believer and creator/sustainer/redeemer. And we must acknowledge that often we drag ourselves kicking and screaming to the altar. What a strange God to not walk out on us then. What a mystery that Job got out of his quarrel with God a richer man. What patient ears, what an encourager, what a friend, we have in Jesus. And let´s pray, also in each other.

We are one in the Spirit [mp3]

-1-
We are One in The Spirit,
We are One in The Lord.
We are One in The Spirit,
We are One in The Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.

Chorus
And they'll know we are Christians by our love,
By our Love,
Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

-2-
We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
And we'll guard each man's dignity
And save each man's pride.

Chorus

-3-
We will walk with each other,
We will walk hand in hand.
We will walk with each other,
We will walk hand in hand.
And together we'll spread the News
that God is in our land.