October 02, 2007
Standing Against a Brother
In Harry Potter and the Soccer’s Stone, Dumbledore the headmaster of Hogwarts awards Neville Longbottom 10 points for standing firm in the face of peer pressure. “There are all kinds of courage,” said Dumbledore, smiling. “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” Speaking from experience, we Christians will do just about anything to avoid standing up to another Christian. Never mind that Jesus and Paul gave us plenty of examples of how to stand up to a brother – and why we need to do so. Normally we just sigh and pass the buck by saying, ‘The Lord can take care of it.’
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Gail;
-----Actually, the Lord can take care of it. And when it is vitally critical, He does take care of it - with a miracle if He has to. But in everything short of that, we fail to realize He works through our hands. He did not call us to be servants who sit on the fifty yard line and cheer Him down the field. He put us on the field to play according to His game plan. When damage is proceeding from the errors of a brother, I think most Christians perceive God is calling them to the sideline so He can send in a player of greater skill to handle the situation. Sometimes they may be right. But realistically, there is usually no one on the sideline significantly better trained to handle it than the one already in the game. He is warmed up to the situation enough that even if his skill is inferior it is still better than the cold start of another who may have superior skill. Consequently, most plays must be left to the ones already on the field.
-----It is a disheartening feeling to see your star fullback limp from the red-zone to the sideline using a twisted tootsie as cover for pure cowardice. Church history is riddled with great examples. Rats, I was a good example of it last year when I ran off to a different church after the leaders at my former one lied to the congregation about me. Or was I taken out of that game to prevent undue damage from a furious response? I suppose it was probably the latter. And I suppose it was probably the correct call. Leaving an overheated player in the game will actually cost the whole team. I remember a confession of Brian Romanowski, Romo-Cop, a great Denver linebacker. Loosely quoted, “I was on the bottom of the pile, and I felt someone’s finger in my hand. I didn’t know whose it was. I didn’t care whose it was. I didn’t care if it was one of theirs or one of ours. I just broke it.” There are times when a player reaches a state of mind that is better kept on the bench.
-----Life is not simple. Neither is it perfect. The best we can do is done according to the best we can figure. And hopefully we are around coaches who are good enough to train us in figuring with the patience, perseverance, respect, and commitment it takes to lovingly stand up to a brother.
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