A church (The Body) is a lot like a family. Too much like a family really. You connect and support a group of people with a bond that’s stronger than your day to day feeling of good or ill will toward them. At least that’s the ideal. I’ve seen my fair share of Body-related drama, everything from disagreements about the church logo to doctrinal rifts and extramarital affairs. Proximity, when you can’t escape it, breeds all kinds of too-human drama. People get upset. People get jealous. People do stupid things, and people act like fools. If you’re part of that Body, you get in the middle of it whether you like it or not, just like family.

I’ve spent the last 5 or 6 years trying to avoid “Body” drama. I hate it, It makes me embarrassed and ashamed to call myself a Christian. I’ve kept my distance from whatever church we were in, sought out places that were friendly to that distance and secretly scoffed at Bodies that seemed addicted to their internal drama. This hasn’t worked out so well for me. A month or so ago God stuck this phrase in my head, “The absence of drama isn’t the presence of peace.” I think He’s trying to show me that simply avoiding drama won’t create peace in it’s place. AND, you can choose or find peace despite being up to your neck in drama. Ultimately I feel He’s telling me to get connected to the Body, to get over myself and slug it out with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

That’s the good (but hard ) word.