Is it me or is there anyone who can get along anymore?  Baptists still disagree today over things that sometimes do not really matter.  Congress is stuck in the blame and hide mentality over most issues we face.  Two of our major professional sports are in significant labor troubles.  Tiger Woods just let his caddy of over ten years go this week.  Entertainers are divorcing faster than they marry.  Seems like everyone is feuding these days.  Conflict seems to be the buzzword of our generation.  Let me just say now that all of this wearies me.  I am no fan of strife.  Maybe it cannot be avoided at times but do we need to revel in it?

We usually fail to see where such behavior limits our options.  Religious people tend to talk at one another but never to each other.  Elected leaders continue to let huge issue go unresolved because compromise is now a dirty word.  Sports groups cannot seem to get a handle on their multi billion dollar businesses.  We can go on and on but you get the idea.  What bothers me is how intelligent people can allow relations to deteriorate to this point.  Rather than working toward a solution most want to avoid the appearance of being remotely cordial.  So we read or see anger being spewed from one side to the other.  Stalemate is the usual state of affairs today.  We don't seek answers as much as we fix the blame.

What is even more troubling is how good people end up at odds with other good people.  Churches never realize the damage done with conflict.  I fully realize that there are times such action is inevitable due to the nature of the problem.  But we do tend to argue sometimes for less than spiritual reasons.  Some people just honestly do not like the people who are in their congregation.  I know this is true from several ways of learning how it happens.  Very few things are more tragic than this scenario.  Conflict distracts us from doing what God asks.  It discourages those who witness the behavior.  It finally devours both those involved and those on the outside in a wave of negative experience.  It always amazes me how we can refuse to let our biblical faith influence our daily attitude.  We fail to see how being right with an issue yet behaving wrong can end up being destructive.  It becomes the no win situation.

My only hope for better is with God somehow convicting our heart of our shortcomings.  I do not know if another human being can fully translate the injuries caused by others.  We cannot allow evil to penetrate our life even when we are in the right.  Jesus says that only forgiveness levels the playing field.  He would forgive those who violently oppose Him.  Just remember that He calls on us to do the same.

Bro. Trey