By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president
Have you heard of the Dog War?
No, not the one that happens in neighborhoods around the world with dogs barking at each other through fences. Not the one where dogs fight over a scrap of food in the streets. Not even the one between family members who can’t decide if they should get a big dog or a little dog, or if the dog is allowed on the furniture or must stay on the floor.
The Dog War was a short-lived war between Bulgaria and Greece back in 1925. The two countries had a tense relationship based on land disputes. These disputes had led to several past conflicts and some guerrilla warfare as well. So things between the countries were tough. It was almost like they were looking for a reason to fight.
That reason came along because of a stray dog on the border between the two countries. It seems that one Greek soldier had a dog he liked very much. The dog, like any dog, liked to roam and explore. One day that exploration led the dog to cross the border into Bulgaria. The Greek soldier saw the dog running away and inadvertently crossed the border as he went after it. He was thinking he just wanted to get the dog. The only problem was that the Bulgarian border guards didn’t see it that way and shot the Greek soldier. The next thing you know, 20,000 Greek soldiers crossed into Bulgaria and occupied a town. Bulgaria sent 10,000 troops, and a short standoff took place for a week before cooler minds prevailed and Greece withdrew. Around 50 people lost their lives, all because a dog strayed from home and his owner went to get him.
We can look at such incidents and just shake our heads. Why, we might ask? Sadly, while we may not send 20,000 troops into battle, we do at times see ourselves in our families and in our church families jump to conclusions quickly and be willing to go to a war of words over some misunderstanding of something that was said or done. At times we allow the smallest things to destroy relationships instead of coming to a meeting of the minds.
Our church is supposed to be a place for more than just great Bible study and worship.
Each congregation is to be a place where we live out the two great commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind… You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37–40, NKJV)
Let’s not start wars this year. Let’s instead realize that we can ask God for His perfect love in our lives, and “perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18, NKJV) We will not be afraid of misunderstandings that may happen when we have the love of God in our lives.