Photo by hoyasmeg

Interdenominational strife is nothing new and hardly limited to the church in America. For centuries Christians have feuded and bickered among themselves, sadly even to the point that sometimes an outside group has to help keep the peace.

My sister was doing some research on Israel and shared with me this fascinating story about the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It has been excerpted from the book Jerusalem (Holy Cities) by Saviour Pirotta.

“The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is governed by many different Christian denominations. Sometimes they cannot agree with one another over the care of the church, so important restoration work has been left undone and the buildings need a lot of repair.

There is an old wooden ladder that rests against one of the walls of the church. It has been there for years because no one can agree on who owns it!

People sometimes worship outside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Inside, Christians worship and perform rituals at special times. This allows each denomination to have its fair share of worship in the church. The keys to the front door of this church are held by two Muslim families who act as guards and keep the peace among the different churches! They have done this for hundreds of years.”

Clearly, the believers in Jerusalem have forgotten the words of their own King David. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)