When Churches Fight

Last week, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" was released which has already broken a few box office records. Many critics has trashed the film while a great majority of fans loved the movie. This movie takes place after "Man of Steel" where Batman witnessed first hand the destruction left behind Superman's battle with General Zod. Batman thinks that Superman is a threat and wants to take down him down.

Later this year, Marvel will release "Captain America" Civil War," which shows Captain America and Iron Man fighting over, supposedly, Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier. I am sure there are other elements in the film that will come to light. This movie is based on a comic book storyline called, "Civil War," where the heroes of the Marvel Universe fight over being registered with government which will cause them to expose their secret identities. Anyone who knows this story knows how that worked out for Spider-man.

What do these two movies have in common? We see Superheroes fighting one another. Normally, we see Superheroes fighting the bad guys and savings the world. These two movies show the good guys fighting among themselves. Granted Superheroes do not get along from time to time, but on this grand of a scale. Yes, there have been a few comic books where heroes fight each other and sometimes its from a crossover event. Who can forget the infamous DC Versus Marvel that took place in the late 1990's?

While we expect Superheroes not to fight one another, we expect people in the church not to fight, but unfortunately that does happen. Fights in the church can be over the stupidest things. I remember hearing about a church that split because they could not agree on the color of the carpet. Other churches fight over what musical instruments shall be used as well as the use of Hymns vs. modern worship songs. We even fight over what Bible translation we should use, which KJV only people love to get into.

Majority of fights in churches are over some foolish things. What cause these fights in the church? James, the Half-brother of Jesus answers that question:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions (James 4:1-3)

The fights in the church are over selfish desires. Selfish desires cause divisions in the church and damage the witness of the gospel. It is one thing to disagree about an issue in the church, but it is another thing when it turns into a fight that causes brother and sisters to not want to be in the same room.

The Bible does say, we are to maintain peace with one another:

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3).

When fights happen in the church, it breaks the bond of peace. We have peace with God through the finished work of Christ, therefore, we are called to be at peace with one another.