Do you remember when the game “Space Invaders” first came out? I spent hours playing it on my Atari system. Rows of “aliens” marched back and forth across the screen while I shot at them, blowing them away for the sake of dear old planet earth.

The graphics weren’t much to look at in those days, but as I recall, the actual “invaders” could have been most anything. The only reason I thought of them as I did was the name of the game. They could have been leaves falling from the sky or a marching band so far as the graphics were concerned. However, it felt more reasonable to blast away at “space invaders” than it would have felt to blast away at, say, baby ducks following the mother duck to the pond!

I see a lot of “Space Invaders” being played in the church world. Folks take sides and then apply a convenient label to those with whom they disagree. Once we’ve done that, they’re no longer brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead they’re “liberals” or “traditionalists” or “emergents” or “fundamentalists.” In my circles, I’m told that what someone teaches is “Catholic” or “Calvinist.” Once the label is applied, we’re free to load up and take aim. After all, we’re no longer shooting at sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. These are “invaders” and we’re trying to blow ‘em away in the Name of Jesus.

Meanwhile, the lost people, watching from a distance can’t make heads or tales of it all. To them a Christian is a Christian is a Christian and they can’t tell a Pentecostal from a Presbyterian. They don’t know much about the Bible, but somehow, they’ve decided that if there’s anything to this “following Jesus” business that the followers will at least love one another rather than try to destroy each other.

John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”