Ep. 27: Did You Bring Your Sword?

Hello fellow travelers! This week I continue the topic of unity versus uniformity. In the first part of the podcast, I discuss the awful truth that churches often enforce uniformity by denying community. Deep roots of dangerous uniformity can be traced to a lack of discipleship and not trusting the Holy Spirit to convict believers. In the second part of the podcast, I talk about a verse someone quoted on a Facebook post about loving your enemies. The lack of context in the person's comment and reading of the scripture made me meditate on it this week. Does Jesus intend that we should be ready to carry a sword against our enemies? Matthew 10:34-36 specifically references the instructions Jesus gives to His disciples when they are sent out. The reference to a sword and not peace was in light of family relationships. Hopefully, those aren't your enemies, but even if they were, the idea is that God is first, and out of our love for Him, only then can we love people well.