Letting the side down

Sadly I find myself for the second time this week vexed by the goings on of God’s people in politics.

I refer to the court proceedings between Jim Allister (TUV) and Ian Paisley Jnr (DUP). As I watched the news last night I was saddened to see God’s children in such a situation. My wife hit it on the head when she remarked, ‘that’s Christians against Christians’. The apostle Paul rebuked the Church in Corinth for the very same thing when he said: -

‘I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?’ 1st Corinthians 6 v5-7

For me the key phrase in Paul’s comment above is his reference to the fact that this is done before the unbelievers. God’s people should been known for their love for one another and not for their animosity.

‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.’ John 13 v35

There is a sceptical world out there ready to hammer Christians and sadly many Christians who are in politics are bringing shame on the name of Christ.

We are never going to agree on everything in life or politics. There is nothing wrong with debating those differences in healthy political debate but let’s not turn it into a vicious personal war where brothers in Christ are tearing strips of each other in full view of the world!