FOG OF WAR
According to wikipedia, “friendly fire” is the “inadvertent (unintentional) firing towards one’s own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death.”
It goes on to attribute many “friendly fire” incidents to a so-called “fog of war.”
It adds: “Fog of war incidents fall roughly into two classes: Errors of position … [and] Errors of identification.”
And I wonder if we don’t have some incidents of “friendly fire” taking place in the church from time to time.
It can come from any of the following three directions:
(1) Brother (in Christ) to brother (same as sister to sister; brother to sister; sister to brother).
(2) Brother to preacher.
And lastly…
(3) Preacher to brother. (Yeah, it happens from the pulpit, too.)
SONS OF THUNDER
Jesus referred to His disciples, James and John, as the “Sons of Thunder.”
It was not without cause.
At the drop of a hat it seemed the pair was ready to blow up a village and ask questions later. (Luke 9:51-56)
In another episode, they saw someone who was doing similar miracles to the ones they were doing, but since he wasn’t in the “in” crowd (following them), they sought to stop him. (They were jealous?) The “Sons of Thunder” would shoot him down, too, except for Christ’s intervention. (Mark 9:38-40))
I think it’s significant to note that James and John were in a “fog” in both incidents. (See Bible passages. They had an error of position and an error of identification and Jesus pointed it out: “‘You do not know what kind of spirit you are of.'” (Luke 9:55)
WHAT’S A SHOT GUN BLAST BETWEEN FRIENDS?
And we can get all hot and bothered and our underwear in a bundle over the actions of others, especially of believers. It happens.
But even if they’re sinning, sure we ought to confront them, but not with a shot gun blast.
“Then Peter came and said to Him, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'” (Matthew 18:21-22)
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