Disunity Endangers the Whole

So, when it comes to watching a movie, I’m mainly there for the battle scenes — swords, spears, shields, the sense of fighting for something bigger than yourself. I’ve greatly enjoyed just about every battle scene I’ve seen, except for one: that between the elves and the dwarves in the Hobbit. 

The tragedy is not mainly that these two groups — who should have been at peace — were attempting to destroy one another. But that while they were fighting one another, their true enemy, Sauron, was closing in upon them.

So consumed by pride and anger, the elves and dwarves never see it coming. Their inward battle over petty differences blinded them to the real war they were already in with darkness. 

As Christians, we should be at peace with one another. And we should know that our war is not against one another, but against the spiritual forces of evil (Eph. 6:12). And yet it’s our failure to engage in that war, along with our skirmishing against one another, that reminds us of our need to confess our sins.

Prayer of Confession

Father, you’ve given us the honor of being called your children, along with the blessing of being able to call one another brother and sister.

We ask your forgiveness for the hurtful things we’ve said toward one another — or said to others about one another. We ask forgiveness for the ill-will we’ve had toward one another — our desire to see another go down, that we might rise up instead.

Forgive us for imagining that our enemy could ever be a fellow worshiper of your Son. Forgive us for not being eager to maintain the unity we have through the Spirit, but for ignoring, or even despising, that unity instead. We ask that you would forgive us for these things, along with the many other sins we confess to you now in this moment of silence…