1 Corinthians 1:10, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united in the same mind and the same judgement.”
Paul does not mince words in his writings. He gets right to
it and the letters to the Corinthians are no exception. There were divisions in
the Corinthian church and message is clear...GET ALONG!!! There is no
compromise on this point. The letter goes on to talk through a number of issues
that are dividing the church, all of which are still relevant in our present
time.
Later in Chapter 12, Paul writes the following, “For just as
the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though
many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” Translation: We are on the Same
Team!
After serving in the police profession for over thirty
years, I see similar divisions inside of our own walls. Every peace officer
relies on records clerks, dispatchers, jailers, secretaries, property evidence
technicians and crime scene processors to get the job done. Everyone does their
best to make their community safe and bring justice to the oppressed. That is
our calling.
The problem is that we lose sight of the fact that we are
all on the Same Team. We grumble and argue. We complain that someone does not
do their jobs to “our” standards. We compare budget allocations, promotion
lists, rumors of discipline and the latest story of interpersonal conflict to
somehow validate our professional struggles, stir the pot or engage in gossip
because we get bored. We become divided to a place where our negativity infects
our ability to be joyful in our pursuit of justice.
It is our responsibility as Christians to bring peace in our
work place. That is our testimony to a lost world. Spend your time between call
for service building relationships between people rather than feeding rumors
and stoking animosity between work groups. Be a peacemaker among colleagues.
That is, after all what we do. Why only step in when you are on patrol, on a
911 call or in meetings with outside organizations?
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably
with all.” Romans 12:18
