We spend a lot of time and energy talking about Synod politics, about one side of things and the other, who’s with whom and who’s not, who we think gets it and who we’re convinced doesn’t it.

We gripe and complain and get frustrated with one another. We think there is no hope, and then we see it in spades.

We wonder why we all can’t just get along and yet why we love talking about being Lutheran. 

We think that if the Lord were to return today, we’d have to go all Abraham on Him, begging, “What if only 20 faithful were to be found in the church, Lord? What if only ten? What about three? Ok, what if it’s only me?” while admitting that we don’t have it all together either.

But what we never really verbalize is that none of this is Synod politics.

It’s Synod theology.

We’re not arguing over tax laws or hikes in spending or infrastructure. We’re frustrated with one another because of variances in matters eternal.

There’s a difference.

We can defend our lives, our homes, our sacred honor with the help of hearty neighbors and a shotgun, but defending faithful theology is different. It’s fought on the battlegrounds of words, of history, of Pilate’s telling question, “What is truth?”

It’s okay to question. It’s okay to dig deeper. It’s ok to want to know more. Because our Lord has already given us the answers. He has made them plain in His Word. We have them already. And they are far greater, far more comforting, far better than any discussion of politics, of tax laws, of infrastructure we might ever imagine.