The world is on pins and needles observing the war in Gaza. The suffering is incomprehensible sitting in our comfortable living rooms watching the events unfold. I’ve never been in a war-torn area. I’ve never heard bombs and gunfire outside my bedroom window. I’ve never had a loved one raped or murdered simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time or who was of the “wrong” nationality or “wrong” religion. 

It is heartbreaking. So we in America pray, pray, pray. 

As we watch the evil atrocities of Hamas and the scarcity of the basic necessities of life in Gaza, it makes the petty things we, Christians in America, fight over seem all the pettier. 

A couple of weeks ago, a few people took acceptation to a blog post of mine. Folks from the right and left didn’t like it (usually a sign I was on target). They wrote and said mean things. Lies even. My skin is pretty thick when it comes to things written or said; but my skin is not thick enough if it were bullets being fired. Compared to the situation in the Middle East, my tribulations are extremely light and momentary. In fact, I don’t like using the word “tribulations” in comparison to the suffering occurring in our world. We need to put in perspective our trivial disagreements.

I get it. Theology matters. We want to be correct biblically, of course. People will not always agree with our nuanced look at scripture and theology. Fundamentalists, Calvinists and Wesleyans hold different beliefs about the Bible, women in ministry, the atonement and a host of other things. We all believe in Jesus. We might be neighbors in heaven. Can’t we turn down the rhetoric? 

John Wesley said, “Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike?” It’s a good question. 

I get it. I’m a white, over sixty (boo hoo) male. I’m not excluded because of my gender or race. Maybe I shouldn’t be the one stating this, but our bickering over non-essentials is not worth the fight. In our ever-divided world, for many their “non-essential” list is shrinking, and their “essential” list grows. But should it? Our trivial differences seem so inconsequential as people’s lives are destroyed and so many are left wondering about their very survival in the Middle East. 

As the world watches in horror the events in Gaza, of course, our enemy is not the innocent Israeli or Palestinians. Neither is our enemy those Christians who might view scripture differently. There is evil in the world and it’s not the Methodists, Baptists or Catholics. Our Enemy is the roaring lion of whom Peter instructs: Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8). In such a time, we believers must stand as one and denounce evil in all of its forms (Reject every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22). We must pray, weep and hope together. In the face of evil, Christian brothers and sisters must live into Romans 12:9: Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. In other words, know the Enemy. It’s not my Christian brother or sister who might differ with me on the nuances of Scripture or end times theology. It’s really not.

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:16-18