Enemies

ENEMIES


Evolutionists will tell you that humans have endured because we found reward in two things: procreation and conflict. Evolution and its ever-reducing competition for resources suggests that humans have found success in our ability to continuously populate the world with ourselves and our dominance over would-be predators in conflict.


We’re not that amazing though, right?


Most of us wouldn’t fare well against a bear in the woods, or any of the sharp-clawed beasts roaming the savanna. But our highly capable neurological systems, our ability to reason and measure threats, and our subsequent rapid responses have served us well.


But our real superpower, the real thing that has allowed us to persevere? Cooperation. Across creation, no species can cooperate like humans. Often occurring under threat, humans hold an amazing ability to “band together.” We love to band together to fight for a cause, cheer on a team or collectively pledge ourselves “one nation, indivisible.”


LOVE THY ENEMY


The system is always running, however. We don’t like being scared, but it feels good to be angry. Especially when our anger is validated by our peers who surround us and directed toward our chosen threat. Never clearer is this dynamic than in the age of social media. Cultural Tribalism is often the term coined to describe this dynamic, but even that term misses the point. Cultural Tribes are defined by their boundaries and by their enemies. As Christian leaders, we preach the gospel of loving enemies. Our evolution and culture have taught us to love having enemies.


Rallying together to fight a common foe is as old as time itself. Rome’s rivalry with Carthage is likely why the empire lasted so long. The United States ran half a century of foreign policy banding against the threat of communism. Even Iceman and Maverick pulled it together to beat the threat of Russian-esque MiGs. But I digress.


We lust for conflict, but there’s a cost we often ignore in our lust. While standing next to a small white Dunker church on Antietam battlefield, General George McClellan said, “I am tired of the sickening sight of the battlefield with its mangled corpses & poor suffering wounded. Victory has no charms for men when purchased at such cost.” We seem to thirst and thirst for conflict, until we see it grow into full bloom. We verbally clamor for action, violence, and extremism, but we don’t know the cost of what we’re bidding on.


We don’t have to look far; turn on the news and you’ll see college campuses flooded with protestors of Israel’s war in the Gaza strip. According to a recent UNICEF report, “The proportion of people willing to participate in demonstrations has increased to its highest levels since the 1990s, and the number of protests has also risen in this period.” It’s no wonder, in a time when our phones and culture have severed so many of our typical bonds and left young people aching for community and connection. "Honestly, I've made a lot more friends here than I have over the past three years," says Jamil Dellawer, an MIT senior, sitting inside the protest encampment on MIT’s campus. "It's honestly really, really beautiful."


KNOW THY ENEMY


Many rivalries are harmless, but they draw from our darkest shadows. Because humanity enjoys unity in the face of threat, we seek out enemies, even if we need to manufacture them. Or worse yet, we let others manufacture them for us.


Cruise cable news after 7 PM, and you’ll enjoy a veritable smorgasbord of scapegoating. Immigrants, politicians, political ideologies, young people, old people, woke culture. The list goes on and on. The menu is full of topics that should enrage us and fingers pointed at whom we should direct our anger.


As Christians, we need to differentiate between faithfully standing on principles and culturally crusading on outrage. For any group advocating a cause, we must actively reject our primal instincts to identify fake enemies. The greatest threats to Christianity (particularly in the West) aren’t its true adversaries, but the voices that tell us to hurt others who pose no threat or danger. The people who enrage you are likely not your mortal enemy. (But even if they were, Jesus says something about that). They are beautiful creations of a loving God, and a soul God longs to be in community with.


JOIN UP


Human nature is to join. We join movements because of their goals, because of their community, because of what we receive, but also, increasingly, because joining makes us feel good. That’s not an insult or a watering-down of the faith. Joining is the reason we do everything; it triggers the reward system in our brain. This isn’t a departure from godly living, but rather a deep-seeded feature of humanity. God created our need for belonging, and hard-wired us to desire it. The church depicted in Acts is the bright light at the end of this circuitry.


Camping out on college quads, marching in the streets, or barricading ourselves together in buildings is a social aphrodisiac. The experiences are generating powerful feelings of common identity and give an intense sense of “belongingness,” especially among young people who lacked the same connective tissue earlier generations enjoyed on campus. Keep in mind, the class of 2024 had a pandemic obliterate their freshmen year and much of the following.


If we’re concerned about slipping cultural values, if we’re threatened by the changes around us, we need to be hyper-vigilant of the voices clamoring for a scapegoat. The world doesn’t need more sequestering and division. Culture does a fantastic job doing that on its own. The Church is called to be a different voice in the winds of rage: a resting place. “Come to me, all who are weary.” A place that offers belonging to all (and let’s be clear, the Church is a place for ALL). We can offer an oasis for those searching and the antidote to all this pitchforking: belonging.


Our call as leaders is to tap humanity’s superpower of cooperation to create this place of belonging. The gathered church isn’t called into cultural crusades. We’re called to devote ourselves in prayer, submit ourselves to teaching and to regularly gather in breaking of bread and fellowship. Perhaps most-counter cultural in the book of Acts was the strength of their fellowship: “No one was in need because they cared for each other.”


A whole world and generation are desperate for belonging. Let no one be in need because we care for each other. 


Patrick Sprague

Park Street Brethren Church

By Scott Soden May 21, 2025
Across the vast oceans and many years, God is bringing the Brethren Church in the U.S. back together with our brothers and sisters in Malaysia. Even though we've been far apart in distance and time, God has been moving to reconnect us yet again. Churches in Penang and Johor Bahru are now working with us to build new friendships. We hope this will strengthen our partnership and also include our friends from the Brethren Church in the Philippines. This will create a wonderful link of churches around the world. The church in Johor Bahru reports that it has moved to a new building that is all on one floor. This makes it easier for older members who have trouble with stairs to participate. Their new location also has a garden where people can go to think quietly, pray, and meet Jesus in peaceful solitude. We hope to visit our partners in Malaysia early next spring. Pastor Paul Stanley and some Philippine Brethren Church pastors plan to go too! This trip is evidence of how God is bringing us together and will serve as an opportunity to strengthen our friendships. We can also see the great work they are doing in God's name. This reconnection reminds us that being part of Christ's church extends beyond our physical location and place in time. We are united across time and place, and as we move forward together across the world, we trust that this new friendship will help God's kingdom and blessing continue to grow.  Scott C. Soden Coordinator; Brethren Global Partners
By Dan Acker May 21, 2025
Against the stunning backdrop of the Wyoming wilderness, a truly meaningful event unfolded last week. During a fly fishing trip that brought together Brethren pastors in Casper, Jamie White was joyfully ordained as an Elder in The Brethren Church. The intimate service took place within the charm of a local lodge, where a distinguished group of Brethren Elders gathered to participate in this sacred occasion. Jim Miller, Tom Sprowls, Don White, Dave Stone, Miles Larson, Dustin White, and Dan Acker collectively laid hands on Jamie, affirming her calling and confirming her ordination as an Elder within The Brethren Church. The significance of this moment was further underscored by the presence of Bill Childress, Pastor at First Brethren Church of Gratis, Ohio, and Dustin LeMaster, a pastor at 5 Stones of Ashland, Ohio, who were there to offer their support and witness. Though the setting was informal, it did not diminish the profound importance of the office Jamie now embraces. Jamie's journey toward ordination was marked by diligent preparation and the affirmation of her gifts. Examined and approved for ordination by the North Central Region in 2020, the formal service was thoughtfully delayed due to the unforeseen challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and evolving opportunities in her ministry. Upon hearing of the long-awaited ordination, Drew Meziere, the Regional Resource Coordinator for the North Central Region, enthusiastically exclaimed, “It’s about time!” Jamie and her husband, Dustin, himself an ordained Elder in The Brethren Church, have demonstrated a consistent commitment to ministry since their time at Radial Church, a Brethren Church plant they lovingly established in Canton, Ohio. Their dedication to living out the Great Commission has taken them to diverse landscapes, from guiding fishing expeditions and hosting spiritually enriching retreats along the pristine rivers of Casper, Wyoming, to serving communities near the tranquil lakes of Cleveland, Ohio. In every context, their passion for making disciples has remained unwavering. It is this very adaptability and commitment to meeting people where they are that has deeply resonated with Summit Ridge Community Church in Tucson, Arizona, their current church home. Recognizing the unique and fruitful nature of their itinerant chaplaincy, Summit Ridge has wholeheartedly embraced Jamie and Dustin's calling to minister in unconventional ways to individuals who may not typically engage with a traditional church setting. Their work exemplifies a dynamic and evolving expression of faith, reaching beyond traditional walls to connect with people in the everyday rhythms of their lives. With heartfelt joy and anticipation for the impact of her continued ministry, we extend our warmest congratulations to Reverend Dr. Jamie White on her ordination as an Elder in The Brethren Church. May God's abundant blessings continue to enrich her life and empower her vital work! Dan Acker Pastor, Summit Ridge Community Church (Tucson, AZ) West Regional Resource Coordinator
By Dan Acker May 13, 2025
Summit Ridge Community Church Commissions New Leaders, Emphasizing a Servant's Heart
By Steven Longenecker April 23, 2025
By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired shot heard round the world. “Concord Hymn,” Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1836. This is true. The American Revolution was transformative. One hundred years later, poet James Russell Lowell celebrated the modest span as “era-parting.” As the Concord militia ran across the bridge chasing retreating redcoats, they ran from one era into another. This is also true. The United States was the first government founded on the principle that “all men are created equally.” To be sure, this noble concept was very imperfectly implemented, but nobody else, certainly not European monarchies, even pretended to believe it. On April 19 we rightly celebrate the 250th anniversary of Concord, the beginning of a war that led to American independence. But there’s more. The first shots were not fired across Emerson’s “rude bridge” but on Lexington Common. Here three British companies faced the village militia. Major John Pitcairn, the British commander, ordered the Massachusetts men to disperse. The militia captain, John Parker, seeing that his men were significantly outnumbered, ordered them to break ranks and leave. But before they could, somebody—we still don’t know who—shot, and the British spontaneously responded with heavy fire. Then, again without orders, they charged, shooting and bayoneting, including the wounded. Historians disagree over whether British officers encouraged the melee or futilely screamed for order. Almost certainly, however, redcoats cut down fleeing militiamen. It was more massacre than battle. This atrocity, not Emerson’s “shot heard round the world,” inaugurated a lengthy, difficult, brutal war. The War for Independence lasted eight years, the longest conflict in American history until Vietnam and now fourth behind Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam. Civilians were targeted, casualties high, and prisoners, when taken, treated inhumanely. Lexington wasn’t the only time in the war when wounded and surrendering soldiers were assaulted; both sides did it, but more often the British. As people of faith remember Lexington and Concord, they can find three takeaways. 1. Injustice creates conflict. Identifying wrongs inflicted upon us comes naturally, but the call is to recognize injustice felt by others. The colonists had legitimate grievances: They were unrepresented in Parliament and taxed without their consent, a fundamental injustice. Logically, they demanded self-government. For ignoring American complaints, Imperial leadership lost some of its most valuable colonies, and its military endured high casualties. The lesson is that release for the captives and freedom for the oppressed are both the right thing to do—"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”—and pragmatic because of the problems they solve. 2. Similarly, bad things happen when people stop listening to each other. Mostly, this falls again on the British. Even a few months after Lexington and Concord, independence was still not mainstream among Americans, who probably would have accepted something short of full sovereignty. How might the history of the British Empire evolved if it had listened and applied the Golden Rule? Tone-deafness cost the British severely. Likewise, may we remember that most arguments have two sides. The Empire’s anger over the extensive property damage caused by the Boston Tea Party feels legitimate. Refusal to concede that the other side has a point or two often has significant practical cost, in this case further widening the breach between the Empire and its seaboard colonies. This is not to say that Jesus compromised his values, but he lunched with tax collectors and sinners and, presumably, listened. 3. Wars are easier to start than to stop. This includes labor (strikes) and trade wars. The great conflict that started on Lexington Green lasted much longer than anybody thought. In fact, there was little deliberation. Tensions escalated and anger boiled until violence erupted, and once the floodgates of war opened, it took eight years and rivers of blood spilled before they closed. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are not only the children of God but, in practice, they rescue society and, especially, innocents from the suffering of war. In the long run society is best served by peace (and justice). Do justice, listen, and make peace: Put together, these lessons from Lexington are foundation stones of Christian behavior, and they equip Brethren to be the salt of the earth in tumultuous times. Steve Longenecker is Professor of History, emeritus, at Bridgewater College (VA). Photo by Donovan Reeves on Unsplash
By Scott Soden April 23, 2025
On Saturday, April 5th, churches and representatives from across the Southeast Region of The Brethren Church gathered at Windhaven Church in Mount Jackson, VA, for a powerful day of fellowship, prayer, and storytelling. Over 75 attendees, including 25 enthusiastic youth from several churches, came together to celebrate and share inspiring stories of how God is transforming their communities and responding to the urgent need for hope, love, and connection in these divided times. The gathering was a flurry of activity. Here are some of the highlights: During the morning, the youth poured themselves into a community service project; they assembled water bottles with socks, other essential items, and snacks for local homeless shelters. Chyann Mackey and Laura Waldron (Both of Mount Olive Brethren Church, McGaheysville, VA) shared their excitement about preparations for this summer's camp, now under the new name: Kairos! Their palpable enthusiasm left attendees eager to witness how God will use this initiative. Pastor Don White (St. James Brethren Church, Fairplay, MD) shared a powerful message about the importance of experiencing God's presence and living in both spirit and truth. St. James is growing and actively engaging in local ministry initiatives, primarily through the Women's Missionary Society (WMS) groups from collaborating churches—truly a remarkable story worth sharing. Sara Moore (Saint James Brethren Church) emphasized Brethren Academy's vital connection to the region and showcased current and former students who now serve as mentors or in ministry within their local churches. Looking for ways to grow your youth in Christ? Check out Camp Kairos, Engage Youth Conference (both this summer), and Brethren Academy this fall! Valerie and Micah Ceary from the Gathering Church (Hagerstown, MD) and Joe and Katie Turner shared updates through videos about their new church plants in Maryland, which are advancing in unique ways throughout the region. Pastor Lee Reams (Compass Community Church) highlighted his church's summer sports outreach they put on in cooperation with Eukarya Christian Academy in Stephens City, VA. Read more about it at https://www.brethrenchurch.org/compass-community-wraps-up-summer-sports-outreach . Pastor Todd Crowder and the team at Maurertown Brethren Church (Maurertown, VA) are inspiring witnesses through their work with inner-city kids. Hearing Todd's journey—starting with one child in his truck and expanding as kids sought connection and fellowship—was uplifting. Pastor Kent McKay (Canvas Community Church, Winchester, VA) discussed the importance of vision and mission in the recent merger. Canvas Community Church was formed from the merger of Canvas Church, a local non-denominational church, and our own Grace Community Church in late 2022. Now, less than three years later, a full one-third of the new congregation are new members to their congregation and were not part of either Canvas or Grace Community. This remarkable statistic is a testament to the efficacy of their outreach and the work of God in Winchester. Pastor Brad Reaves showed a video highlighting the impactful work in Guinea-Bissau, where they partner with One Child to use the Bridgely App to fund children's schooling. Additional highlights included a recap of the recent Regional Women's Retreat, celebrated as a resounding success, and updates from the Gathering Church in Winchester, VA on their substantial outreach to local homeless shelters as they celebrate their fourth anniversary this Palm Sunday. Pastor Simon Flint spoke about their Toddler-Time outreach at Muskoka Community Church in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada, which positively impacts mothers and families during the cold winter. Pastor Dave Stone shared in a video update how Sarasota First Brethren Church is recovering after Hurricane Milton damaged its building (read more about that at https://www.brethrenchurch.org/nappanee-brethren-repair-hurricane-damage ). During that same update, Dave Stone noted that their facility is used by seven Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous groups every week. What an extraordinary array of stories! God is surely at work, using the Brethren Church in remarkable ways. Please share the good news of what God is up to in your church and community at our MemoryFox page . We look forward to sharing more inspiring stories from your region as well!
By Dan Acker April 15, 2025
A Legacy of Faith and a New Chapter: First Brethren Church Celebrates Pastor Roger Stogsdill's Retirement and Welcomes New Leadership
By Dan Acker April 15, 2025
Joyful Celebration as Pasadena Centro Crista Welcomes Daniela Escobar Through Baptism
By Scott Soden April 9, 2025
On Sunday, March 23, the Brethren Church in Cay Pombo, Philippines gathered as usual to lift their hearts and hands in praise and worship to God, their Father. Yet that day was far more than a typical Sunday; it was a joyous celebration of God’s goodness and all He has accomplished in the church during its first full year of ministry. “As we celebrated our 1st anniversary, we're reminded that God has a plan to prosper us and give us a hope and a future. We're excited to see how He will continue to work in the lives of many through the JOFF (Jesus Our Firm Foundation) Cay Pombo Church. We've seen God move in amazing ways. We've witnessed lives transformed, relationships built, and how Jesus moves in everyone's lives, and yet, we know that this is just the beginning. We're trusting God to guide and direct us always. To God be all the glory! Happy anniversary, JOFF Cay Pombo!  As we celebrate this first year of ministry and Kingdom growth, may this moment inspire the church here in the United States and around the world to boldly witness for Jesus in our neighborhoods, communities, and nations. Amen!!! Scott Soden Coordinator, Brethren Global Partners
By Paul Lattimer April 9, 2025
Hey everybody! It's been a couple years since ChristCore Brethren Church went on hiatus, and I wanted to share a brief but exciting update. I've felt the Lord stirring in my heart over the past year to try starting it again. ChristCore went on hiatus and we downshifted heavily after Alexander Stillion, one of our members, passed away in a motorcycle accident. Quite honestly, I was depressed and didn't want to keep doing this plant without my friend. During this time, Terry Hofecker and Josh Coffee, pastors of Agora Church in Columbus, Ohio, were gracious and gave Micaela and I a "landing place" while ChristCore paused. Now, we sense the Lord is calling us to pilot the ship once again, and I am excited to both share and ask for your prayer support as we relaunch ChristCore! We held our first new gathering on Friday, March 2 and hosted 7 adults and 2 kids (OTHER than Micaela, myself, and our kids). During our time, we had a Bible study on part of Matthew 5, lyric discussion of the Christian Metalcore song “Immortal” by War of Ages, and shared prayer requests and praises and prayed with each other. Thank you for your prayer support!!! Praise the Lord! Paul Lattimer Pastor, ChristCore Brethren Church 
By Scott Soden April 1, 2025
On Sunday, March 16, 2025, the small congregation at the church in Lima went to a local beach for a very special time of transformation and celebration. Here is what Pastor Luis Angel has to say about the day's events: “Our church recently celebrated the baptism of four members. Franz and Bertha, who have been part of our congregation for several years, had not previously been baptized due to various circumstances. Leslie, Franz's girlfriend, and Luca, a young leader in our church, are newer members who decided to take the step of faith during their discipleship journey. Initially, Luca's baptism was scheduled for July 2024, but due to my motorcycle accident we had to postpone the ceremony. We decided to reschedule for the summer when the weather is more conducive. Franz and Leslie joined the discipleship program during the waiting period, followed by sister Bertha a month ago. All four will continue their discipleship classes, deepening their spiritual roots and developing their gifts for service.” Let us joyfully celebrate the incredible work God is doing through our partners in Peru and across the globe!  Scott Soden Coordinator; Brethren Global Partners
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