I am a member of a fellowship of churches who have fought for over a hundred years. They are my people. They are my family. We are followers of Jesus. We are a loving, dysfunctional family who do in fact love each other; but we can’t seem to get along.

We are clean through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and our acceptance of this wonderful gift of God’s grace. We still have more degenerate Adam and Eve in us than we want to admit. Thankfully, Jesus’ blood flows deep.

Like our spiritual ancestors the Jewish Pharisees, we want to follow God yet we have the tendency to establish rules that make sense to us; but sometimes our rules turn out to be far from the heart of God.

That this misguided thinking would exist within any circle of churches is tragic. To be uncomfortably honest, it only take a cursory glance at the big picture of the church to see how hard it seems to give love and fellowship to those with whom we disagree.

Too often, we follow the human trait of loving and giving fellowship to those who agree with us while forcing the dissenters out.

It concerns me anytime I act like me instead of like Jesus. At those times, I run the risk of hiding Jesus from others who need grace just like me.

There are times when I block people’s vision. They can’t see Jesus because I am in the way.

The Apostle John tells the story of a short man—blocked by people in front of him—when all he wanted was to see Jesus. Fortunately, for him he wired around the people and climbed a tree to see the Savior and to let the Lord find him.

It is both ironic and sad to see churches—composed of people who want to honor Christ—become the greatest of offenders of blocking Jesus’ sight from lost people who need so badly to catch a glimpse of His grace.

Is it possible we are projecting an earthly church? Is a group of professed Christ followers who show a sectarian spirit a church that will block the view of Jesus?

Is a group of God followers who do not recognize Jesus’ children as their spiritual brothers and sisters, a church that blocks the view of Jesus?

Does an assembly of Christ-followers who have set their own criteria for salvation run the risk of blocking the view of Jesus by the lost people of the world?

It is far beyond time for the church who claims Jesus as Lord to call a truce. It is time we put away our magnifying glasses and stop looking for specs of disagreement. It is time to call a truce and begin looking for points of commonality among God’s children.

A good place to start is Jesus. What were his concerns? How did he relate to people?

He was hard on the rulers and Jewish Temple leaders because of their disbelief. To those who sought Him and believed He indeed came from God, He continued to teach and encourage.

Jesus was hardest on religious leaders because they were in the way of people’s line of sight to God.

Could we be His church built in plain view of the world with completely transparent walls that allows those who recognized their lost state to see Jesus?

Let’s call a truce. Jesus is the only GPS available to guide them home. I would rather not come before God having hid His GPS.

Stay tuned. – Gary J. Sorrells