St. Ambrose

I can attest from personal experience that church fights aren’t pretty. A major dispute broke out in 340AD following the death of the bishop of Milan. There were two factions: those who affirmed Christ’s divinity (orthodox Christians) and those who opposed it (Arians). The debate became so hotly contested that some feared the rival factions could take up arms.  Ambrose (340-397), the governor of Milan, was summoned to quell the disturbance. He rose to the occasion and delivered an impassioned, conciliatory speech. Much to his surprise, both sides called for him to become their new bishop. Hey, the guy wasn’t even baptized! Ambrose didn’t want the job, so he hid in the house of a friend. Delegates attending the meeting where he spoke tracked him down and placed him under house arrest until he consented to take the job. Within the week, he was baptized, ordained a priest, and elected bishop. Ambrose was keenly aware of his spiritual deficiencies in his new role, so he poured himself into prayer and study of the Word. He deftly led the church as bishop to affirm Christ’s Lordship and recover its central mission. Ambrose famously prayed: