Never choose sides?
What would happen if you decided to never choose sides? Not that you wouldn’t stand for anything, because we all have our opinions, beliefs and perspectives, but rather than linking up with a political party, denomination, or an association, you decided to stand in the middle. This might help you to influence and build a bridge between opposing viewpoints, many of which are not actually all that opposing. Of course, you would also be labeled a heretic, a loser, and a wimp by extremists from those political parties, denominations, and associations that you chose not to side with. Or it could just be that you’re trying to be like Christ, who had no value in sides and positions, because the kingdom he was fighting for…
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I dunno Martin J…
The peace makers are the blessed, I get that. And I know that you’re writing a brief snap shot, not a full-on treatise…
And I think it might be more accurate to say that Jesus was a bit like the angel who Joshua approached. In some sense, they don’t take sides because they are so far above our petty conflicts.
-but-
The things we do, they are very much on the side or not on the side of God.
Standing in the middle and not taking action, that’s an o.k. thing to do, in some cases. But there are other times… I think, in fact, much of Christianity out to confess the sin of standing in the middle while they shipped the Jews off to the concentration camps; we ought to express our regret at trying to build a bridge with the maniacs involved in the Darfur or Rwandian genocide.
I imagine you might be thinking of less global conflicts… And I think that bridges are good things, some of the time.
i’m inclined to agree with Jeff; maybe for slightly different reasons.
Jesus came to bring peace with God, not with each other. He most definitely did take sides, he was very careful (as Jeff pointed out) to choose God’s side.
As passe as if now is, WWJD? is a great question.
Christ came to bring not peace, but a sword, to make us know for sure, that a decision for or against Him was the only decision that really matters.
Being a peace maker between antagonists is commendable, as long as there is a chance that the dispute is not a matter of “for or against Christ”. This covers most ordinary disputes.
However, where do you stand on Israel and the Palestinians?
Who did God give the Land to?
Whose holy city is Jerusalem?