Friends, Enemies,or Frenemies?

Tomorrow, November 12, is the anniversary of our church at this Marietta location. Today I started thinking of all the people who have come through those doors, they have been blessed, renewed, found friendships. Some have remained but there are other who for one reason or another have left our fellowship and some even our friendship and I often wonder why they parted from us, and yes I take it very personally. The lyrics from two songs are in my head right now, one is by Dave Mason, and says “there ain’t no good guy, there ain’t no bad guy, there’s only you and me and we just disagree”, speaking of friends that have been separated for a while and find that they no longer agree on many things, they are good friends becoming “former friends.” The other song, by Joni Mitchell, says “But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say I’ve changed. Something’s lost but something’s gained in living every day. I’ve looked at life from both sides now, from win and lose, and still somehow it’s life’s illusions I recall. I really don’t know life at all.”

Both of these songs find friends at odds, looking at the same things in a different way. One agrees to disagree and the other is just disillusioned with life, period. I know both of those emotions up close and personal. Sometimes people take a different path, one that you find you cannot/will not walk down, so you go your separate ways. It doesn’t take away from the good times you used to have, it just means there are no more good times to be had, with them. A lot of things you can just let go, like whether you prefer Chinese or Mexican food for take-out, but things that make a difference in your life, or the way you live it, cannot be compromised.

The man who wrote the greater part of the New Testament, Paul, and Peter, the disciple that recognized Jesus as the Son of God, had a major disagreement concerning Kosher vs. non-Kosher! Paul had an argument with Barnabas over young John Mark, who got home sick! Yes, these “holy” men had major conflicts, we won’t even talk about the one concerning circumcision!

Point: you can disagree on politics and vote different parties or attend different churches and still have communion!