Body parts taken from various dead. Cobbled together into a semblance of hideous life. Animated by arcane and mysterious arts. Raining death, misery, and destruction on its creators. It is either: A Committee, A Political Party, Frankenstein's monster, or All of the Above.
Mary Shelley's cautionary tale of science run amuk could be read as a critique of church history. Catholics vs. Huguenots. Lutherans vs. Anabaptists. Papists vs. Protestants. Plenty of blood spilled, justified from pulpits and entered into with great zeal. I don't think this was what Jesus prayed for in John 17, and it wasn't what the disciples modeled for us, which is amazing, considering their backgrounds. I mean, you've got professional fishermen – very likely competitors – mingling with a religious extremist, a national traitor, an entrepeneur, a couple of hard-headed “see it to believe it” types, a veritable pot waiting to boil, but no broken noses or bloody lips. There was no shoot-out at the Galilee Corral, no Thrilla in Gehenna. Why? What was the factor that kept these opinionated, aggressive, strong men from each others throats? They had many reasons to keep them apart, but only one to bring them together: Jesus. He took these dead-in-their-sins chunks of vileness, and built them together into His living church. Unlike Frankenstein, he did not create an engine of death and destruction, but of life and hope. The magic He used wasn't hidden from the world, but revealed through His masterpiece: “...by this will all people know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 He united them in Himself, the same way He unites people today. It doesn't mean that we won't ever feel angry or frustrated with one another. It doesn't mean that we won't ever have disagreements. It does mean that we have the highest standard of fellowship, and if we want to have fellowship with Him, our capacity to enjoy one another will be stretched to the uttermost.
