"Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world … for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other … Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow … Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? …  Don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you – whether … the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God" (1 Cor. 3:1-23). This all took place amongst genuinely born-again believers.

Over recent weeks I have heard of a number of very sad and disturbing situations that have arisen within a few highly respected churches and one large mission organization. They involve things like the mishandling of an unresolved situation regarding a fellow leader; the fair or unfair dismissal of an employee; cover up to save face and preserve a  reputation; a dysfunctional eldership team; a lack of transparent accountability and clear communication between leaders and congregations; and a lack of heart-unity amongst both leaders and followers. We should not be surprised. What was happening in Corinth is still happening where most of us would least expect it. Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church. This assumes on-going major conflict between the two. We must meet it head-on however it manifests itself. This is costly and painful but humility, transparency, grace and forgiveness can always restore harmony.

Our God is one of loving personal relationships. This is seen in the Godhead itself and should characterize those he created in his own image. As we so brilliantly heard on Sunday, when sin entered the world, God's shalom was shattered beyond human repair; our relationship with God, with each other and with ourselves instantly became broken, antagonistic and crippled by shame. Our joy, security, happiness, peace, tranquillity and rest in every relationship disappeared. Enmity and blaming took over. Even our relationship with the environment shattered and we lost our sense of responsibility to care for it. Instead we began to exploit it. It now groans to be renewed.

Shalom involves the weaving together of God, human beings and all creation in justice, fulfilment, harmony and delight. Shalom has a host of meanings; some denote external circumstances, others internal feelings or states of mind. Packed into shalom are concepts like wholeness, peace, security, tranquillity, safety, completeness, contentment and well-being. Merely to stop fighting or to suspend strife is not shalom. The psalmist tells us to "turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it" (34:14). It takes courage, humility, vulnerability, transparency and faith to work through conflicts, but it definitely leads to change and to our becoming more like Jesus.