Blog
When the Bough Breaks
I’ve always wondered how “Rock-a-bye Baby” became a lullaby. I find it to be a little too dark for the job. Somehow the image of breaking branches and falling babies “cradle and all” sounds more likely to cause nightmares for mother and child rather than peaceful rest. Be that as it may, after all these years, the branch still breaks, and the cradle still comes down.
Branches are like that, though. They may be solid and sturdy in appearance, but when enough force is applied in just the right place, they break.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
(Ephesians 4:1-3 NASB)
Peace has long been signified by the olive branch, and that imagery has its roots in the Genesis 8 account of receding flood. The twig of the olive tree that the dove brought back to Noah announced that the wrath of God had passed over, and peace and life had returned.
Peace, when maintained, is a strong bond, a branch able to withstand even the fiercest of storms. But that doesn’t mean its needs can be forgotten. Why did Paul tell them to be diligent, give their full attention to, in preserving it? He says much the same thing to the church in Colossi.
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful
(Colossians 3:12-15 NASB)
If those attributes that service the peaceful bond of love and unity are absent, the bond breaks. Put another way, the gentle, forbearing, forgiving spirit makes the body function, but when these things are missing or worse, replaced with their opposite, unity cannot thrive.
The bonds between brothers and sisters in Christ are not unique in this way. In any relationship where peace and love are characteristic, there must be the willingness to forbear and forgive. More than that, there must be a desire to preserve unity at all costs short of the truth of Jesus Christ.
Maintaining unity is not merely something that happens by weekly association, and it requires us to set aside ourselves and our assumptions and to know and love our brethren. It requires us to see and assume the good in others, and we must imitate the same love, compassion, forbearance, and forgiveness that God shows toward us.
To put it simply, this kind of brotherly love appeals to a better self than the one that we are typically willing to put forward. For a church to survive, to say nothing of thriving, its people must embody the mindset of Christ (Philippians 2).
As has been the case in marriage, so has it been with bodies of the Lord’s people, where peace and love have not been maintained, the body fails. That’s why we must pay careful attention to anything that might weaken these bonds. We cannot prove ourselves a worthy light when inside we are full of darkness toward our brethren.
Take Care in Your Assumptions: It’s easy to assume the worst in people, particularly when we haven’t always seen eye to eye with them, but we must be careful that we don’t assume ill will where it does not exist. We must also be cautious not to ascribe evil to those with whom we have had disagreement (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
Make Fellowship a Regular Habit: One of the surest signs of spiritual distress is when a body of God’s people does not enjoy being together. When regular communication is not experienced, we magnify the schisms and exacerbate frustrations. If you want to be assured of your own spiritual success, learn to love the people of God. (1 John 4:17-21)
Watch your Language: Whether gossip, slander, or simply words spoken in anger, the tongue is truly a world of iniquity full of deadly poison. James rightly said that it is set on fire by hell. The notion that somehow the truth of our words excuses even the worst of intentions needs to be silenced. The truth behind the thing said is inconsequential if it is spoken to bring about harm and division (James 3)
Pursue peace: James tells us that the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. We cannot expect God’s righteous fruit of the Spirit to be born when our aim is strife and self-promotion. To that end, we must learn to meet our brethren where they are. There is no place in the body for long-lived grudges and recounting of wrongs. Our aim should be to grow to the good of all. (James 3)
Peace and unity with our brethren will not happen by accident. We must be diligent in preserving them or else risk losing our light
-JB
