Sibling rivalry

 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3.26-28

No Jew. No Greek. No slave. No free. No male. No female. You are all one. 

Since the very start mankind has tried to be one. They built the tower of Babel so that they could all have a place to rally around and would not have to obey God's command to fill the earth. Alexander tried to unify the world under his control. The Roman Empire controlled most of the known world. After Napoleon Europe tried through the Congress of Vienna  to establish a European federation. The League of Nations was a short lived attempt to unify the world. The United Nations does the same. But they all fall short. 

While the world tries to unify it seems like the church does just the opposite. We seem to be able to divide over anything. We divide, not only over doctrine or teaching or fundamentals or vital truths. That kind of stand is understandable and right. Instead we fight over music or worship styles or Bible versions or standards or any manner of trivialities. 

Not only that we divide over race or nationality or social status or political opinions. 

Jesus promised that the gates of hell could not prevail against his church. I believe that, but it seems like we are bent on destroying the church ourselves through our petty, childish, and foolish divisions. 

We are all one in Christ. All of us. We may not like it a whole lot. We might prefer our prejudices and arrogance and divisions and superior feelings, but Jesus says we are all one. All of us who have put our faith in Christ are sons of God through that faith. Isn't it time to lay aside some of our sibling rivalry?