'Tis the Season

One of the universal things you'll hear in our Christmas songs is how wonderful this time of the year is. You know, everyone is nicer, friendlier, kinder, that sort of thing. I know, the skeptics among us (including me, I suppose) will tell you it's not true, but, still, it's a nice thought. In the ineffable wisdom of Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?" It's really nice when people ... get along.

It's interesting, in this sense, to read what John wrote in his first epistle.

If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

It's a familiar text, I'm sure. It's about walking in the light. It's about being cleansed. It's all good stuff. But notice that phrase stuck in the middle. "We have fellowship one with another." Notice that it's not a "possibility." It is stated as a fact. Notice that it is preceded by "If we walk in the light." That is, we will have fellowship as a natural consequence of walking in the light.

An ongoing, from-the-beginning problem in the church has always been division. We divide because we've been slighted or because we disagree on doctrine or practice or favorite colors. We divide because we want and don't have. We have division over who is teaching us or who we listen to. "Oh, you listen to MacArthur? Oh, that's bad." (Of course, that can go the other way, too.) Lots of problems. But, according to St. John, if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. The suggestion is that, in those cases where we have divisions -- no fellowship -- we are not walking in the light as He is in the light.

Now that makes sense when you think about it. An orchestra tunes all its instruments to a single note on a single violin. A piano tuner tunes a whole room of pianos on a single note from a single tuning fork. In the same way, if we all have the same One to whom we are to tune our attitudes and actions, we would certainly be tuned to each other as well. On the other hand, the farther we get from that singular source, the less fellowship we will enjoy with those tuned to that source. The problem, then, is not the source. The problem is us.

'Tis the season to all be kinder and better and nicer to each other. We can best start that in a way that would keep going if we set out to align ourselves with the Child we are celebrating in this season rather than the myriad of other options we may choose.