Publisher’s Corner: ‘Sandy’s Soapbox’ – Calling All Disciples 

By Sandy Jones 

I’ve had a couple of people ask me what I meant by “friendly fire” a few weeks ago when I posted “Beware of Friendly Fire – I always have to remind myself to try hard to not be the one pulling the trigger!” on my personal Facebook page. 

The term “friendly fire” started as a military term, where a soldier is accidentally shot by one of their own. 

I was using it in the terms of how often I witness fellow Christians hurt one another. 

I’ve seen and/or heard Christians who profess to love the Lord completely dress someone down over their political views, or, my personal pet peeve, whether or not they chose to wear a mask. 

Politics. We’re asked to vote for another human being. I think we need to be cautious to not make any human being a god. There is only one God, and we need to be careful to not worship any human being. Lest we forget there will come a day when “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess,” and I, for one, don’t want The One to ask me about idol worship. 

Another form of friendly fire is mocking and ridiculing people who don’t agree with us politically. Trust me when I say that bullying someone over political differences damages your witness. 

And masks? Please don’t get me started. My opinion is as simple as this: if someone wants to wear a mask, let them. People have been wearing masks for decades, and before Covid nobody thought twice about it. We need to quit picking on people over this too – it doesn’t impact the observer one bit, but ridiculing and mocking does damage one’s testimony. 

It is my understanding that we are called to be disciples, leading others to Christ by both our words and our actions. Sharing our opinions and beliefs are our right, but it hurts my heart when I so often see or hear people carelessly putting others down for not agreeing with them. I can only imagine how it must break God’s heart. 

I remind myself this behavior is not the brotherly love Jesus Himself commanded us to show one another. I’m sure the Samaritan wasn’t fond of the things the Jewish man stood for, and they certainly didn’t agree religiously or politically; but when the Samaritan came across the injured Jewish man on the path that day, he stepped in to help, and did so lovingly. I, personally, want to be more like the Good Samaritan. 

I realize this is not my normal Publisher’s Corner, but as I walk through this topsy-turvy world we’re living in these days, I believe that it’s time to challenge myself, as well as my brothers and sisters in Christ, to be more concerned with other people’s eternities than literally anything else that does not impact their eternity. I frequently remind myself that there’s only room for one butt on God’s judgment seat, and it’s not mine! 

We have friends who have served most of their entire adult lives in the mission field. My husband asked them one time how or why they’ve done this – live overseas, mostly in Third World countries, and away from their families all these decades. Our friend’s response was life-changing for both Steve and I, and I’m paraphrasing here, but his response was basically “we get to tell people about Jesus, and what could be more important than that?” 

He was right. What could be more important than that? I’m often reminded by watching these same missionary friends that you can preach an entire sermon series by your actions and deeds, without ever speaking a word. 

As we head into fall, and all of the upcoming holidays and events, I’m going to do my best to try to see others through God’s eyes, reminding myself that He loves them unconditionally, just as He loves me. I hope you’ll join me. 

Until next time, 

God Bless! 

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