But it is so needed. Especially in the Body of Christ. Especially in this day.

The Corinthians church was into spiritual superiority. They were taking different gifts and treating them as marks of superiority. The powerful manifestation gifts (tongues, healing, prophecy, etc.) were treasured and exalted. Yet, other groups would take their favorites (or the ones they loved but were getting beat up by the other groups) and would whack away at their “opposition.”

Opposition in the Body of Christ. It’s an ancient tale.

It seems this is the game we play. We know the greatest commandments: Love God. Love the neighbor.

But today, I would ask, “Who is my neighbor?”

And for the Church, Jesus might give a different illustration. The reason I say that is today we, as believers, seem more intent on loving our neighbor who isn’t a believer than loving our neighbor who just may be a believer… just not “our kind” of believer.

In this, the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 ring a bit more true.

No one is without excuse.

“Who is my neighbor?”

It’s the Pentecostal you can’t stand because he talks too much about praying for healing. It’s the Episcopalian you can’t stand because she’s involved in “dead ritual.” It’s the Lutheran you can’t stand because they always want to help the poor. It’s the Catholic, because… It’s the Presbyterian, because…

We spend so much time yipping at each other, we forget the very mark of Christ that is supposed to distinguish us from the rest of the world! “See how they love one another.“

May we finally hear those words of our Savior and our King, and actually work by the power of the Spirit to make them real.