Do Not Stop Her
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. (Mark 9:38-41)
This is a real laissez-faire moment for our Lord, Savior and God, Christ Jesus of Nazareth. The least schismatic, least changed and most christologically pure church is the Miaphysite (Tewahido) Orthodox Church that entails the Ethiopians, Eritreans, Copts, Indians, Armenians and Syrians. But, it is easier for us to say where the Holy Spirit works than where He does not work. He works in our sacraments, but how dare we say He is absent outside of them? How insolent would we have to be to believe that?
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world. Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:1-6)
If other Ethiopian Orthodox parishes we are feuding with are walking with the spirit of truth we should encourage them. If the Dyphiste or Chalcedonian Orthodox are walking with the spirit of truth, we should commend them. If Roman Catholics and Protestants are walking with the spirit of truth, it behooves us to recognize the good that they are doing. We do not have to accept everything they do. We can examine them and more importantly examine ourselves to see what we do that is in line with the spirit of truth and what we do that is twisted by the spirit of error.
It does not befit us to hate others because of denominational differences. Our God is the God of love. God can use anyone for His divinely orchestrated plans, because He loves everyone and seeks the salvation of us all. As we show love for our Christian neighbors, they will recognize the power of God's grace behind our good deeds. Let us all reflect the light of light itself, orthodoxy incarnate, Jesus Christ the Son of God. When your Christian sister travels on the road to righteousness, do not stop her.
For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Furthermore, we must love each other.