Moderator
Staff Member
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32
A worship service in a church in Zimbabwe ended abruptly one Sunday morning in 2016 when some of the members accused the church’s provincial secretary and his administration of embezzling funds. One newspaper account said women rushed the altar, crying and praying loudly, while others called for the pastor’s blood. Yes, blood.
The chaos began after someone sent an anonymous letter to the church, leveling the accusations. The church did set up a five-member committee to look into the allegations, but tempers flared out of control before any decisions could be reached.
The situation the church found itself in was difficult, no doubt. If funds were used improperly, church members had a right to be upset and to call for action. But the message of today’s verse is that cooler heads ought to prevail among believers—and Christians should be gracious and refrain from rushing to judge.
That doesn’t mean this congregation shouldn’t have looked into the allegations, and even have pressed charges if they were true, but this situation escalated far beyond that. And the church’s witness was harmed as a result. If you have issues with somebody in your church, work it out through the proper channels for God’s glory.
A worship service in a church in Zimbabwe ended abruptly one Sunday morning in 2016 when some of the members accused the church’s provincial secretary and his administration of embezzling funds. One newspaper account said women rushed the altar, crying and praying loudly, while others called for the pastor’s blood. Yes, blood.
The chaos began after someone sent an anonymous letter to the church, leveling the accusations. The church did set up a five-member committee to look into the allegations, but tempers flared out of control before any decisions could be reached.
The situation the church found itself in was difficult, no doubt. If funds were used improperly, church members had a right to be upset and to call for action. But the message of today’s verse is that cooler heads ought to prevail among believers—and Christians should be gracious and refrain from rushing to judge.
That doesn’t mean this congregation shouldn’t have looked into the allegations, and even have pressed charges if they were true, but this situation escalated far beyond that. And the church’s witness was harmed as a result. If you have issues with somebody in your church, work it out through the proper channels for God’s glory.
