Douglas Wilson frequently uses the powerful phrase “fellowship of the grievance” to describe communities formed by disgruntled people. Resentment is a powerful force for joining people together – at least for a time, until they discover they also have grievances with one another. Complaint is one of the most effective forms of discourse. Grievance is a magnet. As Doug points out, aggrieved people can spot one another with uncanny accuracy.
But not all communions of the disgruntled are bound by the spirit of grievance. In 1 Chronicles 12, Benjamites once allied with Saul, including members of Saul’s family and household, join David in exile. David is suspicious, and not just because he fears they are Saulide loyalists infiltrating his exilic community. He’s also worried that the Benjamites may be bound by nothing more than bitterness against Saul. He wants to be sure that another spirit animates them.
Amasai’s oath of loyalty (“We are yours, David! And with you, son of Jesse!”) reassures David because it comes from one “invested” by the Spirit. They have quite legitimate grievances against Saul. If they didn’t, they would never have joined David in the first place But the grievances are the occasion of their exodus from Saul’s house, not the tie that binds. Yahweh’s Spirit has driven them to David’s stronghold. With David, they form a fellowship in the Spirit, not a fellowship of grievance.
We can see the same dynamic in the Gospels and Acts. Many “defect” from the Jewish leaders to Jesus, but what knits them together isn’t resentment against their former leaders. They are drawn by the Spirit-anointed Servant, and bound together by common loyalty to Him. Aggrieved people can have legitimate grievances, and their fellowship can be fellowship in the Spirit.
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