Doubtless, there has never been a time when some crisis or some pressing problem has not faced the brotherhood. One need not have been in the Truth for any great length of time to be able to recall trying and sometimes distressing problems which have presented themselves to the household of Faith. Most, if not all of these situations have been resolved through the providence of God as manifested in faithful stewards of the house. Distasteful as such experiences are, they do have a purpose, and, in the eyes of our Heavenly Father are expedient in the growth and development of the Truth. Paul, in writing to the community of believers in Corinth reminded them of the brighter side of a most upsetting situation: “For first of all, when ye are come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you” (1 Cor. 11:18, 19). Evil, in this case had its uses. It does not cause good, but gives occasion for good to arise. In this circumstance, as in every trying occasion, the apparent evil is instrumentally employed to serve entirely different purposes beyond itself. The genuine advocates of truth were made to stand out, and truth itself is made all the more radiant.
Today, distressing reports are reaching the ears of brethren and sisters in the North American continent concerning those who are most dear to them. News of unrest, disputations and sometimes division among our brethren in Australia have been a cause of deep concern to many of us. We can view the unrest in the world, the bitter fighting between nations, and even the development of weaponry that threatens the survival of mankind with calmness and serenity. But when echoes of controversy within the camp are heard, we are immediately filled with apprehension and anxiety. And, well might we be. It is most disturbing when we find faithful brethren whom we love and respect on opposite ends of a dispute. We are reminded in this, of David’s touching lamentation over the defection of Ahithophel: “For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him; But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.” (Psa. 55:1214) It was the conflict within the ring of personal friends that crushed David. He who had faced the giant Philistine with but a sling; he who had killed “his ten thousands” and slew a lion and a bear without fear was now overwhelmed with remorse and consternation over the loss of one friend. Such is our concern over the growing controversy among those with whom we have taken sweet counsel together and in whose company we walked unto the house of God.
It is time for us to remember that the affairs of the ecclesia are guided by the overruling hand of God. He is faithful, and will not suffer His people to be tried beyond their ability to endure. As in the case of Corinth, where the factions were deemed necessary for the spiritual edification of the elect, so, now, in this present development, we must not lose sight of God’s hand in our midst. Our Heavenly Father is not only the author of our Faith, but its guardian as well. The institutions of the Ecclesia have not been left to themselves. Neither are external nor internal circumstances surrendered to their own operation. We must maintain our confidence in the providential influence of God and the recognition that He presides over external things, so that nothing will prevent the attainment of His supreme object and end.
Though we are saddened as we see the extent of disagreement among our distant brethren, we know that God is able to bring His household through this crisis. Our combined prayers and petitions made in faith and confidence will insure our making the right decisions when and if the time comes for us to do so. Meanwhile, let us refrain from taking sides in matters on which we cannot have first hand knowledge, and let us commit ourselves to Him that judgeth righteously.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One