Division: How We Play the Enemy's Game
I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10
For thousands of years, division and rivalry have been a constant nibble at the heels of society: good vs. evil; white vs. black; male vs. female; Philadelphia vs. Boston; the Hatfield’s vs. the McCoy’s; Republicans vs. Democrats, and so on. What is the problem? Division is so prevalent in our society to the point where people will disown family members in order to hold true to their beliefs. This is diametrically opposed to reason, truth and common sense. So let’s see what history and the Word of God can teach us about division and its ramifications. In order to really get to the substantive and crucial matters at hand, we must delve into the root causes of division; otherwise we will continue to cut off a limb and it’ll grow back; or we’ll put a band-aid on something that needs stitches. So let’s get to the real problem and get some real solutions, because in actuality, this idea of division or a “divide and conquer” strategy is a very old concept repackaged. But as George Santayana coined the phrase: ''Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.''
Hutus and the Tutsis
Germany and Belgium both ruled African countries Rwanda and Burundi in a colonial capacity. Germany used the strategy of "divide and conquer" by placing members of the Tutsi minority in positions of power. When Belgium took over in 1916, the Tutsi and Hutu groups were rearranged according to race rather than by occupation. Belgium defined "Tutsi" as anyone with more than ten cows or a long nose, while "Hutu" meant someone with less than ten cows and a broad nose. The socioeconomic divide between Tutsis and Hutus continued after independence and was a major factor in the Rwandan Genocide.
In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the majority ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over the next several years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some 150,000 driven into exile in neighboring countries. The children of these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along with several political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions, culminating in April 1994 in the genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the killing in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the former Zaire. (Author’s thought: A family was broken up by outsiders. This isn’t the first and it certainly won’t be the last time this happens. Remember the words of Jesus in Mark 3:26-27 and if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house. Jesus taught us about the “divide and conquer” strategy 2,000 years ago. It still goes on today; however, it maybe packaged in a pretty box with a bow on it. Remember, if you dress a pig in a suit, he’ll still run back to and play in the mud. This example of division resulted in the death of nearly 1,000,000 people in less than six months. )
In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the majority ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over the next several years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some 150,000 driven into exile in neighboring countries. The children of these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along with several political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions, culminating in April 1994 in the genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the killing in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the former Zaire. (Author’s thought: A family was broken up by outsiders. This isn’t the first and it certainly won’t be the last time this happens. Remember the words of Jesus in Mark 3:26-27 and if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house. Jesus taught us about the “divide and conquer” strategy 2,000 years ago. It still goes on today; however, it maybe packaged in a pretty box with a bow on it. Remember, if you dress a pig in a suit, he’ll still run back to and play in the mud. This example of division resulted in the death of nearly 1,000,000 people in less than six months. )
The Balkans: the Break up of Yugoslavia
In order to avoid a long and drawn out history lesson, the countries commonly included in the Balkan region are:
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, but only the European section of it (traditionally called Rumelia or Eastern Thrace).
Some other countries are sometimes included in the list as well:
Some other countries are sometimes included in the list as well:
Moldova, Romania, and Slovenia
In short, sovereign countries have always been the target of imperialistic control freaks for as long as the borders of nations have existed. The 20th century for the former Yugoslavia is no different. There are many theories for why the nation was broken up. Some claim that false media propaganda, hostile nationalist sentiment, and fear of security were all manipulated to breed distrust among neighbors of the former Yugoslavia. Whatever reason or reasons are accurate for explaining this dismantling, we must remember this simple Scripture from Ecclesiastes 4:12 and if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Whenever there is unity, there is strength, Remember that! It’s much easier to manage a few puppies on a leash than it is to control and tame a lion. Division weakens you and your unit, but it strengthens your enemy. Remember that!
In short, sovereign countries have always been the target of imperialistic control freaks for as long as the borders of nations have existed. The 20th century for the former Yugoslavia is no different. There are many theories for why the nation was broken up. Some claim that false media propaganda, hostile nationalist sentiment, and fear of security were all manipulated to breed distrust among neighbors of the former Yugoslavia. Whatever reason or reasons are accurate for explaining this dismantling, we must remember this simple Scripture from Ecclesiastes 4:12 and if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Whenever there is unity, there is strength, Remember that! It’s much easier to manage a few puppies on a leash than it is to control and tame a lion. Division weakens you and your unit, but it strengthens your enemy. Remember that!
Politics
Many people view the increasing polarization of voting blocs by wedge issues as being an example of "Divide and Rule." Examples include abortion, gun control, and gay marriage. The key idea is that these issues prevent the public from thinking about, let alone addressing, potentially more objectively important issues, such as global warming, the erosion of civil liberties under the Patriot Act, and the negative effects of lobbying on issues such as campaign finance reform and corruption. Let’s look at a current example: the political debates. All of the candidates of both parties are fighting each other trying to catch up to the party frontrunners. The frontrunners are the punching bags for the other candidates who are lagging behind them in the polls, but next year all of the candidates will suddenly support the candidates they are currently bashing. What do you think would happen if some of the candidates conceded early and put their strength and support behind the strongest candidate a year before the elections? Do you think that would generate some positive momentum for the party of choice? As long as you’re divided you’ll be as strong as a watered-down drink. Remember that!
The Church
The Church is the most divided and segregated place on Sunday morning. We have denominations or sects that won’t fellowship with one another or claim any sort of solidarity in Christ because one Church believes that you must fully submerse in water to baptize believers and another Church believes that it is sufficient to sprinkle people with water. This is absurd! What happened when the church got on one accord in the book of Acts chapter 2? The Spirit of the Lord fell and a great move of God occurred. But that only happened because they were on ONE ACCORD. If someone has a dissenting view, we should at least be able to reasonably communicate with one another to find out where we can agree. All Christians have the spirit of the Lord living on the inside, so if we are living by that Spirit then we should be able to hear the Lord’s voice in a genuine and Scripturally accurate brother or sister. Humility and pride are also two compatible partners with division; it is a recipe for disaster, so don’t fall victim to its seductive demeanor.
Jena, Louisiana
Quite simply, this situation is not unique to this little town; in fact, it is a common thing all around the world. It was a school fight that started from a racial spark. This is nothing new! People continue to instigate, to agitate and to continually foster ill-will amongst the races. The youngster should be punished for fighting, but the main item of interest in this event is that the law of the land was not followed. We are ALL guaranteed to have a fair and speedy trial, and having the punishment fit the crime committed. Amendment VI and VIII of the US Constitution respectively state:
- In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.
- Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
We must understand that we cannot make it illegal for hate to exist. But we can protect the rights of all people and that is what wasn’t done in this case. Racial incidents happen everyday. These types of news stories continually reopen the wounds of the Jim Crow south. But if YOU (the reader) wouldn’t feed into the frenzy, then Al, Jesse and the media propagandists would have to go get a real 9-5 job like you and me. Stirring up news, especially black vs. white crimes, is a big windfall for the news media; they thrive on this. Anytime there is controversy, chaos, and dispute, the media is in the middle of it because they know that the average person will give attention to it; and if people are watching, then advertisers will pay more money to make sure that their product is in your face during the commercials. Simple, isn’t it? It’s all done to hype you up. They create or use a catalyst to make YOU react in a calculated manner every time; then they reward Jesse and Al with free air time and interviews for rallying up the troops for a few more weeks. These people (the media) study human behavior, marketing and psychology and they know how to “push your buttons.” Jena is not about racism, folks. Racism isn’t going anywhere, and the way most people deal with it is not going to solve anything.
Let’s look quickly at one example of how an analysis of human behavior has conditioned Americans to think a certain way via the media for the past few decades. Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, was a master at turning public opinion at his whim. Adam Curtis's award-winning 2002 documentary for the BBC, The Century of the Self, pinpoints Bernays as the originator of modern public relations. He is popularly credited with techniques for manipulating public opinion, such as indirect use of "third party authorities" to plead his clients' causes. "If you can influence the leaders, either with or without their conscious cooperation, you automatically influence the group which they sway," he said. In order to promote sales of bacon, for example, he conducted a survey of physicians and reported their recommendation that people eat hearty breakfasts. He sent the results of the survey to 5,000 physicians, along with publicity touting bacon and eggs as a hearty breakfast. {Author's thought: I remember daydreaming while driving down the highway a few years ago. I saw the image of a man in the sky with strings on his fingers, as if he was moving a puppet or puppets. What I realized was that humanity was the puppet. The man [who had an evil looking smirk and a sinister laugh] represented the devil and humanity was dancing to his tune. People were working like slaves, hating one another, and doing all sorts of bad things. This just let me know that we act out of our influences: good or evil. We can choose: to be reactive or proactive; to divide or unite; to love or hate. It is totally up to us!}.
People will continue to march, protest and boycott. But until people realize who the enemy is, then these demonstrations will continue to be fruitless exercises for which sensationalists (like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson) can profit for their own selfish aggrandizement. However, there is nothing wrong with letting your issues be made known. The first Amendment of the Constitution says that we have the right to petition the government (or whomever) for a redress of grievances. But let’s not put our faith, confidence and hope in our “so-called” leaders, and let’s pay more attention to the solutions that we will learn from Jesus in the next and final example.
Let’s look quickly at one example of how an analysis of human behavior has conditioned Americans to think a certain way via the media for the past few decades. Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, was a master at turning public opinion at his whim. Adam Curtis's award-winning 2002 documentary for the BBC, The Century of the Self, pinpoints Bernays as the originator of modern public relations. He is popularly credited with techniques for manipulating public opinion, such as indirect use of "third party authorities" to plead his clients' causes. "If you can influence the leaders, either with or without their conscious cooperation, you automatically influence the group which they sway," he said. In order to promote sales of bacon, for example, he conducted a survey of physicians and reported their recommendation that people eat hearty breakfasts. He sent the results of the survey to 5,000 physicians, along with publicity touting bacon and eggs as a hearty breakfast. {Author's thought: I remember daydreaming while driving down the highway a few years ago. I saw the image of a man in the sky with strings on his fingers, as if he was moving a puppet or puppets. What I realized was that humanity was the puppet. The man [who had an evil looking smirk and a sinister laugh] represented the devil and humanity was dancing to his tune. People were working like slaves, hating one another, and doing all sorts of bad things. This just let me know that we act out of our influences: good or evil. We can choose: to be reactive or proactive; to divide or unite; to love or hate. It is totally up to us!}.
People will continue to march, protest and boycott. But until people realize who the enemy is, then these demonstrations will continue to be fruitless exercises for which sensationalists (like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson) can profit for their own selfish aggrandizement. However, there is nothing wrong with letting your issues be made known. The first Amendment of the Constitution says that we have the right to petition the government (or whomever) for a redress of grievances. But let’s not put our faith, confidence and hope in our “so-called” leaders, and let’s pay more attention to the solutions that we will learn from Jesus in the next and final example.
Jesus Christ
The best example of dealing with the root cause of this dilemma (division) can be found in none other than Jesus Christ. He dealt with racism, classicism and religious persecution; he was unjustly judged and condemned by these natural factors, but he dealt with them at the root of the matter--spiritually. Throughout Scripture Jesus told his opponents and naysayers: John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do; John 8:23 Ye are from beneath, I am from above; John 15:21 they know not Him that sent me. {Author's thought: Do you see the common denominator here? He didn’t address the people with whom He was conversing; He addressed the spiritual influence that was influencing his enemies. Let’s look at a few more.}
Matthew 16:21-23 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” {Author’s thought: Again, Jesus is not rebuking Peter (the person who verbalized the comment), but he addressed the influencing factor behind the verbalization.}
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood (humans or humanity), but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. {Author’s thought: Folks, against whom are we fighting? Take your fight to the root of the problem and stop fighting against people. People are influenced by good or evil, discern which is operating in your situation and deal with it accordingly.}
The truth will divide between right and wrong.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Matthew 16:21-23 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” {Author’s thought: Again, Jesus is not rebuking Peter (the person who verbalized the comment), but he addressed the influencing factor behind the verbalization.}
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood (humans or humanity), but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. {Author’s thought: Folks, against whom are we fighting? Take your fight to the root of the problem and stop fighting against people. People are influenced by good or evil, discern which is operating in your situation and deal with it accordingly.}
The truth will divide between right and wrong.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Matthew 10:34-35 Jesus said “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
John 7:43 “So there was a division among the people because of Him.”
John 10:19 “Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings.”
Tribal wars, divide and conquer strategies, church splits and racial discourse can all be solved by following the example of Jesus: deal with the (spiritual) root problem first. That doesn’t mean that these problems won’t exist anymore, it just means that you can neutralize its power over you. You can take the proverbial stinger out of the wasp. It won’t be able to hurt you and bring division in your camp. If someone calls you an ugly name, ridicules or insults you, and you react because it offends you, just remember that you can’t make people respect you or be nice to you. You can, however, repay evil with good (Romans 12:17-21); you can “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44). Economically, you can boycott a rude establishment; politically you can protest or vote for another candidate; socially, you can choose not to fellowship with certain people; mentally, you can choose to think another thought. But remember that the root of the issue must be addressed and that you have to be the insightful and proactive person in the situation to overcome that adversity. Don’t let the incident dictate how you are going to react, the Word of God has already told you how to react. So remember to be proactive and stay in the Spirit and don’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Confront the devil head on, like Jesus did in Matthew 4. If he’s looking for a fight, then give him one! Submit yourself to God. Resist the devil in the Spirit and he will flee from you (James 4:7).
John 7:43 “So there was a division among the people because of Him.”
John 10:19 “Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings.”
Tribal wars, divide and conquer strategies, church splits and racial discourse can all be solved by following the example of Jesus: deal with the (spiritual) root problem first. That doesn’t mean that these problems won’t exist anymore, it just means that you can neutralize its power over you. You can take the proverbial stinger out of the wasp. It won’t be able to hurt you and bring division in your camp. If someone calls you an ugly name, ridicules or insults you, and you react because it offends you, just remember that you can’t make people respect you or be nice to you. You can, however, repay evil with good (Romans 12:17-21); you can “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44). Economically, you can boycott a rude establishment; politically you can protest or vote for another candidate; socially, you can choose not to fellowship with certain people; mentally, you can choose to think another thought. But remember that the root of the issue must be addressed and that you have to be the insightful and proactive person in the situation to overcome that adversity. Don’t let the incident dictate how you are going to react, the Word of God has already told you how to react. So remember to be proactive and stay in the Spirit and don’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Confront the devil head on, like Jesus did in Matthew 4. If he’s looking for a fight, then give him one! Submit yourself to God. Resist the devil in the Spirit and he will flee from you (James 4:7).
Psalm 133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is. For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing- Life forevermore.
Live well!
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