As a nation, we are currently experiencing such a time of division, of derision, of polarity.  And it seems to be getting worse all the time: red states, blues states; pro-life, pro-choice; conservatives, liberals; for capital punishment, against capital punishment; SUV's and hybrids; soldiers and peace marchers; republicans, democrats; green eggs and ham.  It's a wonder anything gets accomplished at all with all the antagonism and drawn battle lines.  The early church dealt with the same divisive tendencies.  The first Christians were Torah-abiding Jews as was Jesus himself.  Thus, they took umbrage when Paul and others began suggesting and acting on the notion Jesus had in fact come for the Gentiles too.  It caused quite a rift in church communities and, for most of them, the imperfect way they dealt with their differences was by segregation.  "You stay on your side and I'll stay on mine."  But in so doing, they forgot the law of opposites: they actually attract each other and are the stronger for it.

Centuries before, Isaiah prophesied of a God representative who would not judge based on the outward appearance but by the sincerity of heart.  It would be a time marked by natural-born killers peacefully hanging with their natural-born prey, where all life would be vegetarian-based so as to put an end to the puttings of ends, where the innocence of a child would lead where the manipulation of adults had failed.  Only through the righteousness and grace of Jesus do opposites have a chance.  If we all keep our hearts focused solely on him, we can attract each other and be the stronger for it.

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.  He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.  The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.  The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.  They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

 

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.  May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.  For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, ‘Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name’ and again he says, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people’ and again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him’ and again Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.’  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.