How the church groans for humanity to get well. The twins of sarcasm and cynicism bow at the feet of abundant personal pain. We have a world about us which possesses a deep ache for relief. We are surely outnumbered. The harvest of opportunity lurks. Workers are pedaling as fast as we can.
Mary came home yesterday from working at the church's food pantry. So many of the pitiful pass through in need of food and prayer; both from hunger. Mary was/is excessively undone by Michael's pain. His body is dotted with bedbug bites. An infestation has swarmed his apartment complex. Such is of epidemic proportion throughout Tulsa's apartments and hotels this summer.
Mary's grief will motivate her to contact health officials to see what can be done. Should we get him a new mattress? Not until the proper treatment of the bugs has been released. In the meantime, her heart goes out the this young man as he tries to get a new start in life since his recent baptism.
And then I got another one of those calls yesterday. I just sat in the Turner home six weeks ago as the husband had been killed in a motorcycle accident. I had been in that home three years earlier due to a teen friend of the family being killed in a car wreck. These basically do not have a church home. Fortunately, they draw to us in situations like these and I am privileged to be a part of their intense and repeated sorrow.
Yesterday's call was that a nephew of the family had been run over by a car while he was crossing the street. His funeral is tomorrow. I've never met him. I am privileged once again to minister to this dear family through counsel and speaking at the service.
Donnie was 28. He leaves behind a 22 year old wife and newborn.
I wish you could have seen Jesus minister to the twenty some who gathered last night to tell me of their man. This is such a dear family. We have been through some majorly rough times together. Memorial has responded strongly to each crisis. My heart is severely heavy. Yet, what a place for light and hope.
And you....I feel certain many reading carry your own multiple aches for society near and at large. Bless you. Don't quit. Do not rid yourself of the struggle for humanity. This IS what Jesus did while here...and does while here now.
1 comment:
The struggle for humanity is the opposite of what the Church is mostly interested in these days. These days, the Church is most interested in throwing rocks at the outside world.
Is there compassion for the unwed teen who becomes pregnant and doesn't know what to do? Perhaps, but not much. Mostly the Church begins to spew platitudes about abortion. These are armchair Christians who know that it takes work to clean up messes, and to do real Kingdom work. It's much easier to recline comfortably in the evening and spew venomous hatred--that won't interfere with a busy Christian schedule.
Is there compassion for those who are gay or lesbian? Perhaps, but mostly there are attempts to deal with these folks by passing laws. The Church's ideal: you should be celibate, single, alone, and constantly condemned by the Church. As delightful as that sounds, the Church isn't getting many takers.
"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see ..."
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