A Black and White World

John 10:16

I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

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Us and them,
And after all,
We're only ordinary men

"Us and Them" by Pink Floyd

Sad but true, we live in a black and white world. People tend to believe one thing and shun what does not fall in accord with those beliefs. It's true in the world and it's true in the church. So in the end there's us and there's them.

In the church this plays itself out in devastating ways. Some congregations and denominations will deny the sacraments to those who do not follow the path of the orthodox. Some will discipline, not allowing the other to serve because they do not follow the way of the church. Death is even a penalty.

If you want to point out fatwa and jihad you're welcome to, but death to the infidel is nothing new. The Old Testament has many examples of where the Lord has told the people to kill the other so that they might remain pure. Egyptians ended the lives of Jewish slaves with impunity. During the exile, the rulers of Babylon killed Jews. Innocents were slaughtered in the Holy Land at the time of Christ's birth. At the time of Christ Christians were killed by the Romans. At the Reformation, the Roman Church and the break away congregations were often in life and death struggles. World War II gave us Hitler. It's all a matter of us and them.

Jesus says that he has other sheep that do not belong to this fold, and he will bring them together because they also hear his voice. Jesus is the shepherd. Jesus says we will hear his voice. This is the most important thing we can learn in a world of us and them. In the eyes of God, there is no us and them, there is only God and us.

In a black and white world we see the differences, we see every little difference real or imagined. In the eyes of God there is only us. God is the creator we are the created. It is God and God alone who redeems creation. It is not up to us to decide who the sheep of the pen are. Everyone who hears the voice of the Lord belongs in the pen. God has made sure of that and Jesus lived, died and lived again so that we may come into the pen.

People have a habit of separating the black and the white, the us and the them. This is God's place alone. It is up to us to listen to the call of the Good Shepherd and follow his lead to the place God will lead us.