Ships Of The Like-minded Line

Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 15:5-6

Fuses are screwed onto the shells before they are rammed home in the barrels of the weapons of war. Powder is measured according to the data from fire control and the gun barrels are elevated and pointed in the desired direction after the breech is closed. Finally, a small cartridge is inserted into a primer hole in that same breech block to await the command to fire. All up and down the like-minded line the ships await the coming battle. Each convinced of its own righteousness, those ships have full charges of the word of God ready to fire. 

The salvos begin from a wooden ship with the marking, KJV, on the side and its first shot is not from scripture but about it, "Ye must useth the authorized version lest ye falleth into heresy!" The larger and newer ships of steel and electronics mostly ignore this first shot in the war to come. Though still divisive, the rounds from these guns have become less effective in the later years. Another ship begins to fire, "Those who worship on Sunday bear the mark of the Beast!" the latter day Judaizers thunder from their vessel, Seventh Day. "No, sink 'em fully in the drink!" the SS Full Immersion bellows, "Baptize 'em right!" "Rejoice with electric bass and booming drum set!" a shiny newer ship sends its missiles trailing smoke into the fog of war. "We must one and all be calm and sober in worship," a traditional old battleship belches flame and smoke from its large-calibre gun turrets. Then the scripture shells are loaded and fired all around. 

Jesus and the Devil had it out with scriptural six-shooters in the desert, and perhaps this is where the religions and denominations acquired the urge to engage in this sort of thing. However, how does an unbeliever looking at the battle from the shore know which weapons are holy and which are heresy? It seems to me that in the Christian wars the warriors all agree that when that other guy becomes right-minded like 'us' then we can be like-minded and worship the Lord with one voice. Does like-minded mean you must have a mind like mine? I think Paul added an important set of words in our verse today, "according to Christ Jesus". 

When I am ready to bellow fire at those other guys, is my mind 'according to Christ Jesus'? 

Have some deep thoughts of Christ the Lord today,

Bucky