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DIVISION
In late December, the City Council of Murfreesboro,
Tennessee voted to reinstall a memorial to the victims of September 11, 2001,
which had been built by local firefighters and set up outside a city fire hall.
The memorial which resembled the World Trade Center’s twin
towers and included the words, “ God Bless America” was on display for five
days before city Manager Roger Haley ordered it removed. Haley had favored
omitting the religious reference and using the words, “United We Stand”
instead. He asked for the alternative wording in response to an anonymous voice
mail received in his office.
In response to Haley’s suggestion, firefighters temporarily
painted over the word “God,” making the monument read only “Bless America”
before it was taken down.
After the City Council reinstalled the monument, Haley said,
“I deeply regret the negative perception that it brought to the town. At no
time was my intent to dishonor the Lord. My efforts had a negative and
unexpected consequence, which I deeply regret.”
Mayor Tommy Bragg said the action Haley took was not in the
best interest of the community. Another Council member, Toby Gilley said he
wondered how victims of the September 11 attacks would feel if they knew a
memorial honoring them was “tearing apart a city.”
—www.tennessean.com,
Council votes to reinstall 9/11 memorial, with ‘God Bless America.’,
December 20, 2002. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell
1 Cor. 12:24-25 NIV “..But God has combined the members of
the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there
should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern
for each other.”
DIVISION/UNITY
Ironically, unity is crumbling within the United Church of
Christ. Local congregations are withholding money or simply dropping their
affiliation. In fact, the UCC has now lost over one percent of its churches.
The divisive issue is the denomination's continued endorsement of same sex
marriages. In 1972 they became the first major Christian denomination to ordain
an openly homosexual minister. One might predict other denominations to divide
over this issue in the years to come.
This raises an important question: Is unity necessary at all
costs?
Bryan Moore, A pastor in the United Church of Christ, said,
"We're just not going to support a direction that we feel is away from the
Bible."
Some will undoubtedly argue that we are to, "Make every
effort to keep the unity" as Paul says in Ephesians 4:3. But Paul also
wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:11 "not to associate with anyone who calls
himself a brother but is sexually immoral... With such a man does not even
eat". It is unlikely that Paul would sacrifice holiness for unity.
Frankly, there is a time for division. When groups, churches
or denominations openly disobey the word of God to accommodate popular
politics, division may be the only option. We must stand our ground for the
word of God.
—East Contra Costa Times, Saturday, March 4th, 2006. Illustration
by Jim L. Wilson and Nathan Morales.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 (NIV) "Test everything. Hold on to
the good. Avoid every kind of evil"
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