Avoiding Dissension

The Church Collective is growing. And just as with the early church, growing must include differing opinions and viewpoints. Diversity of opinion is a huge benefactor of advancement in knowledge, development of apologetics and individual understanding of theology.

Here’s the issue: It’s 2014. Everybody has a computer in their pocket, a personal blog, and we are able to publish any (and, good gravy, sometimes every) thought we’ve ever had. Ever.

The problem with this advanced technology is that it breeds experts. Fictional example: “Bro, I read a RELEVANT article* about dating and I can tell you, you’re doing it all wrong.”

*written by a 17 year-old kid who’s never held a relationship longer than 4 months, but by golly, they sprinkled some English Lit dust on a 1000-word-or-less op-ed piece, and now they’re famous and their article is dating-gospel.

What I mean is that not long ago, distributing your opinion to thousands of people was difficult. Now it’s beyond easy. It’s instant and effortless. And that’s horrifying. The problem with being a 2014-era subject expert is that it requires zero criteria. All you have to have is an internet connection and a subject with which you disagree. BOOM: you’re now an expert.

See a blog you think is silly? BOOM: Correct that silly blogger with a few choice Bible verses to convince them (and yourself) that they’re wrong.

Hear about a pastor doing something insane? BOOM: Let the harsh, snooty tweets fall like hate-rain!

Don’t like the way Kim Walker laughs IN EVERY SONG EVER? BOOM: Join the club…er……joking.

This is capital-C crazy for a couple reasons. All of these examples scream, “Division! Dissension!” Not only this, but these examples, once loosed in the wilds of the internet, are never containable. Once it’s out there, there’s no reining them in. “The Internet’s not written in pencil, Mark, it’s written in ink.”

But beyond the insanity of current technology, lies an enormous responsibility. Paul calls us, very specifically in Romans, to be on the lookout for people causing division and dissension.  Not only to be on the lookout for such people, but to stay away from them!

Everybody wants to be heard. Everybody wants to be thought of as intelligent and insightful. But with this immediately available global distribution of ideas and ideas and ideas and cat videos, we must remember that we are visible, attributable representatives of Jesus Christ. And that’s a huge responsibility. If we want to see any real advancement in understanding, wisdom, or community we must be open to new viewpoints and opinions as this Church Collective continues to grow. And that sometimes means allowing people to have and form their own opinions. If we want to be an effective resource, we can’t afford to let the internet virus of division and dissension infect our Collective.

So next time you come across a blog you don’t agree with (they’re everywhere!), a comment that is 100% insane (also everywhere!), a crazy (negative) experience at a church, or anything Mark Driscoll ever says (jokes!), be careful how you respond.