My wife and I vacationed in Scotland for a bit longer than a week. While experiencing Edinburgh and perhaps a Scottish ale or a Scotch whisky, we also toured areas and heard many stories of the history of the land.
Several guides recounted the tales of Mary, Queen of Scots, a Catholic clumsily beheaded by her Protestant cousin Queen Elizabeth I of England. About the same time in Scotland appeared a Protestant preacher called John Knox. (Presbyterians should know who he is.)
And once again as in many vacations in Europe we heard stories of devastating violence and bloodshed as Christians took up arms against Christians.
Even in America today, while we have only a little blood shed, we experience Christian v Christian strife.
Andy Stanley recently spoke on finding out what breaks your heart.
One thing that breaks mine is this strife and bitterness between groups of people each professing to follow Jesus. There is some sort of paradox with this.
I’ve studied theology. It can be a way to challenge the thinking power of the brain.
I’m much more interested in developing the practice of experiencing God and following Jesus’s instructions to act out love toward the neighbor—wherever or whomever they happen to be. Why go out of our way to make things complicated?
Faith Venture 
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