Simple Solutions
W. Carl Ketcherside
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Recently I have been paying some attention to that aspect of the party spirit which manifests itself in the glib answer to every human situation, regardless of how deep are its involvements and how intertwined are its roots. I think that the factional attitude always exhibits a spirit of dogmatism coupled with a feeling of infallibility, and this creates and perpetuates tensions. The opinions of the leaders in one generation become precedents for succeeding generations, and these harden into traditions which are actually equated with the will of God.
Much of this stems from insecurity in the hearts of those who regard their relationship with God as purely a matter of correct interpretation of legalistic statutes, rather than a personal one. This is more of a lawyer-client relationship than a father-son association. The salvation of those within it depends upon their being "right" on every issue, regardless of its degree of importance. It is unthinkable that one could be wrong about anything for that would make him "a brother in error," a term used only as a description of those outside the party pale. No one in any of the parties is in error. All of them have the truth, and all of them disagree as to what it is!
Accordingly, each party looks to its controlling voices to hand down the official ruling and this becomes the blanket interpretation covering every situation in a general category. There are no extenuat-
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We constantly receive letters from brethren who oppose instrumental music, asking how they should regard "members of the Christian Church" in their communities. We get just as many letters from those in Independent Christian Churches enquiring how they should treat members of the "Disciples of Christ" party.
Such questions reveal a lot more about the questioners than about those of whom they ask. One wonders about the type of reasoning which concludes that someone in Missouri can prescribe a course of universal treatment to be applied to all within a certain religious coalition, thousands of whom he will never meet on earth. But the sectarian mentality must "pigeon-hole" everyone for its own security. And each box must be neatly labeled, with a list of instructions on how to treat the pigeons, tacked on the door.
Such a procedure avoids the responsibility of enlightened human contact and exchange. It enables one to evade weighing individual factors and evaluating causative conditions. It is simple, easy and quick. It is too simple to be Christ-like and just simple enough to be Pharisaical. We are the righteous. We are the children of Abraham and were never in bondage to any man. All of the others are publicans and sinners. But Jesus went to the others. He felt at home among those who knew they were sinners.
God never lumps people off. He never herds them into a corral to brand them. God regards no one as a Methodist, or a Baptist, or a Presbyterian--or a Christian Churcher, or a Church of Christer. These are labels men have invented. God deals with each person in the world as an individual. He takes him where He finds him, each one in his own uniqueness, and each must stand or fall on his own responsibility. Thus, there are no easy answers, no blanket decrees, no simple solutions. Not everything is a very black black, or a very white white. There are some gray areas, and some of these alter in hue from day to day as you weigh additional facts which are revealed.
I once knew all of the answers. Every problem of life was simple. Nothing was too complex for me to handle. All one had to do was to apply the scripture. The Bible did not need to be interpreted, all it needed was to be obeyed. Those who did not agree with us were either ignorant or dishonest, and it did not bother me that there were so many of them. Those who loved truth were always in a minority. This kind of a spirit has fragmented the restoration movement into two dozen sects. The preachers in each one have a sermon outline on "The way that is right and cannot be wrong." All of them think that all of the others are wrong and cannot be right.
Now I realize that security does not lie in having all of the right answers but in being in the right person. There are some fairly ignorant folk in Him, and some fairly bright ones who are not in Him. We need to be grateful that we will not be judged by others, nor by our degree of intellectual attainment. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, but it is almost as frightful to fall into the hands of a lot of living brethren.
Instead of drawing up a formula to fit every situation, or drafting decrees to cover every exigency, we will be better off if we relax in His arms and do unto others as we would have them do unto us. None of our parties have an infallible interpretation. All of us have much to learn. During the process it will not harm us to occasionally be forced to say, "I do not know."
The only brethren I have are "brothers in error." There aren't any other kind! And because we are all in the same boat, there isn't much use of painting signs for each little craft. I've quit looking at the boat and I intend to keep my eye on the Captain, who is the author and finisher of my faith!
To the extent that we exalt any man as a leader of a party, to that extent we disregard Jesus as the head of the body and the Lord of the whole church, and thus oppose the divine purpose.