Peace through Micro Revolutions: Solving the Great Divide From Cain to the Modern Polarity

The History of Conflict

The history of humanity is, at its core, a history of conflict. This fractured reality is not a modern phenomenon but a primordial one, rooted in the very first expression of sin: the murder of Abel by his brother, Cain (Genesis 4:8). Since that moment, the "blood of the ground" has cried out through every subsequent generation, manifesting as strife, causing divisions within families, communities, and nations, resulting in death and wars.

These conflicts arise from the vast mosaic of human differences—socioeconomic status, cultural heritage, philosophical leanings, race, and religion. For every perspective held, there is an opposite reaction. In our contemporary landscape, this "gulf of divide" has widened into a chasm, fueled by volatile debates over:

• Immigration and national borders

• Human sexuality and gender

• The sanctity of life versus bodily autonomy

• Economic policies, taxation, and government spending

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) frameworks

The Strategy of the Adversary

Nature declares the creative diversity of God, and it’s a beauty to behold. However, from a biblical perspective, Satan’s “genius” strategy against God is to weaponize the inherent differences in humanity to ensure destruction. His “day and night” work is to categorize (Gk. Revelation 12:10). By creating more and more categories of identity, he fosters a cycle where opposing groups accuse, dehumanize, and ultimately seek to destroy one another.

As Jesus warned, "A kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation" (Luke 11:17). When humanity is locked in a state of perpetual and increasing "wars and rumors of wars" (Matthew 24:6), the ultimate result is death—the antithesis of God’s intent for creation. Whether under authoritarian regimes or democratic systems, governments attempt to manage this chaos by forcing uniformity through policy. However, this creates a pendulum of resentment: when policies favor one side, the disfavored side views the government as corrupt; when power shifts, the newly disfavored side battles the institution they previously championed.

The New Humanity: The Ekklesia as a Democratic Assembly

Into this cycle of warfare, Jesus Christ entered to form a "New Humanity." Through redemption and the Spirit’s regeneration, believers are made a New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is not a call to uniformity, but to His Kingdom on earth that functions as a divine Ekklesia—a "Democratic Assembly" of called-out ones.

In this New Creation, diversity is not erased but redeemed. The "dramatic differences" remain—Jew and Gentile, master and slave, male and female (Galatians 3:28)—yet their inner nature is transformed by the life of Christ. They are a mosaic in which identity is preserved, and individual journeys are expressed freely. Yet, unity is paramount; they reflect the nature of the Trinity—distinctly Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in perfect oneness.

The Fruit of the Spirit is the standard: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, and kindness (Galatians 5:22-23) are expressed not just toward the like-minded, but especially toward the "contrary," those who may be considered as “enemies.” In the maturity of God’s Democratic Assembly, those in the minority are not crushed, but are given more honor and support (1 Cor. 12:23). In this nature, Cain would not have murdered Abel; he would have loved him.

The Trap of Religious Partisanship

Tragically, the contemporary Church has often fallen into Satan’s trap. Rather than being a "light of the world" (Matthew 5:14), many Christians have furthered secular divisions by adding "religious fervor" to political arguments. By using Scripture as a weapon to support one side or the other of a partisan divide, believers add fuel to an explosion of hatred.

Additionally, theology—salvation, holiness, or church practice—is weaponized for more divisions. Therefore, Christians are even more divided than the secular world. When this happens, the Kingdom of God is ineffective. It disappears from the earth's witness because its hallmark of love and unity has been traded for the world's hallmark of hatred and division.

A Controversial Portion of Scripture Reviewed in Context (Romans 9-16)

Romans 13:1 says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Paul wrote this during Emperor Nero). Romans 13:1-7, which teaches that all authorities are from God and are to be in subjection to them, is highly controversial and divisive, often cherry-picked by whichever political side currently holds power. Scriptural loopholes to oppose governmental authorities are routinely promoted by the losing side. However, when read within the broader context of Romans 9-16, its true purpose of maintaining peace is revealed.

The believers in Rome were deeply divided between Jews and Gentiles—a centuries-long cultural and religious conflict. While the Jews in Romans 9 boasted of being God’s chosen people, the Gentiles in Romans 11 boasted that God’s purpose had been transferred from the Jews to them. Each side used Scriptures to boast of their superiority. Paul’s response was not to demand that one side "win," but to break down this barrier with the gospel of peace in Romans 10. He urges both to humble themselves as one Body (Romans 12:5) and to accept the distinctiveness of the "Other" (Romans 14). They were to glorify God with "one mind and mouth," welcoming one another just as Christ welcomed them (Romans 15:7). In this light, Romans 13 serves as a mechanism for peace.

If we trust in God’s sovereignty over changing policies, we stop letting political shifts disturb our internal peace. We accept the external authority so that we can honor God’s sovereignty and focus on the higher internal law of life. As a result, Satan, the instigator of divisions, is crushed under the feet of those who walk in peace (Romans 16:20).

The Commandment of Proximity: Love Thy Neighbor

The bridge between political policy and spiritual reality is found in Romans 13:8-10: "Owe no one anything except to love one another… You shall love your neighbor as yourself." A believer’s primary responsibility is not the macro-management of national policy, but the micro-expression of love in our "vicinity"—our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. This is the practical application of "loving your enemies" (Matthew 5:44).

• Scenario A: You advocated and voted for a policy of deportation for national security. Your neighbor is an undocumented immigrant. Your command is to love, pray for, and support that person as yourself.

• Scenario B: You are advocating for open borders, and your neighbor supports strict deportation. Your command is to love that neighbor as yourself, regardless of their political stance.

• Scenario C: You support life at conception, and you oppose terminating life as a policy, then you find out a neighbor is planning an abortion. You are commanded to cherish and nurture her through the process.

• Scenario D: You promote DEI, but in your proximity, some feel racially superior. Now you are to love them as you love yourself.

  
  

These scenarios can be extended to include all other polarizing perspectives in the world.

Satan has conditioned the world so that acts of love or kindness toward those contrary to your stated worldview make you appear as a hypocrite. The world asks, “Why are you friends with that person who is against your beliefs?” These kinds of accusations keep people in their silos of division and withhold neighborly love from anyone perceived as different.

Jesus, the Good Samaritan

A Jewish lawyer challenged Jesus concerning the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” because he wanted to justify himself by narrowing the category of "neighbor" to only those like-minded to him. In Jesus’ parable, a priest and a Levite didn’t help a beaten and robbed man (presumably Jewish), but a Samaritan—a despised outsider—did.

This shows that neighborly love cannot be categorized by shared culture, race, or religion. It applies to anyone you contact, wherever you go. The Samaritan showed radical love to his “enemy,” as Jews and Samaritans had no dealings and traditionally avoided each other (John 4:9). Only Jesus can manifest such selfless love without regard to race, religion, culture, politics, socioeconomic status, or class. The only qualification to love someone as yourself is their humanity, which is the only category that matters.

The practice of “loving your neighbor” expresses itself through forgiveness and nourishment, both of which can unfold beautifully around a shared meal at the “inn” where fellowship becomes tangible.

Therefore, Romans 13, viewed through the light of peace, shows that while we should vote according to our conscience in a democratic society, governmental policies are not our primary fight. It is futile to engage in that struggle in the sense that Satan will always create more divisions and hatred, and God ultimately holds overall sovereignty. The true revolution needed is “micro” in our proximity and under our direct influence, one neighbor at a time, to bring God’s Kingdom to earth.

We are capable of radical love since Jesus, the Good Samaritan, lives in all His believers.

Conclusion

The divisive hot topics of our age are designed to tear down, but God’s Ekklesia (Democratic Assembly) is designed to build up. We are citizens of a Kingdom that is not of this world (John 18:36), yet we are stationed here to manifest that Kingdom’s life and nature. While the state manages the mechanics of public justice and policy, the Kingdom of God manages the heart of humanity; it does not subvert the law of the land, but transcends it through the law of love within the divine life.

Peace does not come from achieving a political monoculture or from a uniformity of perspectives; it comes from the supernatural ability of diverse people to love one another amidst contradiction. When we prioritize the command to "love your neighbor as yourself" over the desire to have a "right" and “just” government, the Kingdom of God is no longer a distant concept. It becomes a present reality—a light that causes the world to envy the beauty of the New Creation. As believers cry out for God’s Kingdom to come to earth (Luke 11:2), they will recognize that the answer is not found in the advocacy of secular or religious causes, but in living a life of love and unity with their diverse neighbors. Join the micro revolution!