I grew up in a wonderful church with a remarkable family culture. Men readily take their grandkids on hikes like the one I enjoyed last Sunday. I’m grateful for such a community where the most important people affirmed me and then pointed me to Christ as the ultimate affirmation.
But what is our responsibility to those who never knew such a world? To those who are paying the price for seeking love in all the wrong places? I stumbled across one of those stories yesterday and it’s yanking on my heart.
Does God expect us to step out of our neat and tidy world and reach out to these “dangerous” ones that are hurting? Does being an authentic Christian require us to?
Check out this story, it will move you:
“When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them”
Absolutely, we are expected to reach out to the “dangerous ones that hurt”. We don’t have to look far, they are all around us, including us.
It heals us and them when we reach out to help and be real with others and not judge them.
Jesus demonstrated this and told parables about the same. The first story that came to mind was the prodigal son. How the father treated him when he wanted and decided to clean up his life and come back in the family environment. He was always part of the family, but he needed to make the decision to join the family unit again. Notice that the son wanted to condemn himself, but the father didn’t want to hear it. He treated him like royalty and put him back in the position that he belonged. That’s what I believe God is expecting us to do with each other. Remind us who we really are and how important we are to God.
Religious thinking makes Christians judge and look down on people in the name of humility or “keeping them humble”. I think we should build people up. build them up as high as God sees them. He does not look at us as old sinners or worms in the dust. He looks at us as His dear children.
I see this time and time again, kids hurting them selves and others because they don’t see any worth in themselves or thier lives. If we minister value to people they will value themselves and others. Most churches want to start with changing the children. I say we start with bringing back value and self worth to the parents. That’s who the children are looking up to on TV, movies, sports, and home.
One thing that I noticed, Jesus ministered to the adults and let the children see and model them. Even when He healed a child, it was in front of an adult, and taught and ministered to the adult.
The lady at the well will always have a testimony to tell her children to help them believe in Gods mercy and love.
Hi there Ed,
I know it’s been a long time since I’ve commented…I’ve been on a blog-reading fast for awhile. It was good to give myself a break. But it’s good to read your thoughts again.
Actually this post resonated with me because I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I recently heard a radio broadcast about Matthew Shepherd who went on a shooting rampage and then was killed himself. And as the anniversary of Columbine approaches I find myself asking, “who are the people in my life who are hurting that bad? Am I walking past people who are crying out for love and I don’t even see them?” I know the answer has to be yes. It has caused me to begin praying for God to open my eyes to see those that are hurting in silence. And when my eyes are open, to give me the wisdom to know how to act. And then to give me the courage to act in Christ’s love.
It’s a little scary for me to pray because I am such a shy person by nature and reaching out to people I don’t really normally interact with can seem frightning…but when I hear the stories of those who were filled with such severe emotional pain and what it leads some of them to do, I cannot let my personal comfort get in the way!
Thank you for reminding me to keep looking…to keep praying for the vision to see others through Jesus’ eyes and perspective!
-rebekah
Excellent post. It’s like having the scales fall from our eyes and seeing all great-unwashed, unhealed that surround us, and we exclaim in true innocents, “and you say you’ve always been here?!”
Tyrone,
I appreciate your thoughts.
They beg the question, do we believe God is ever-present in the hearts of people? Are we really His, but have simply wandered from home?
Thanks,
Ed
Missed you rebekah,
I miss the passion that you’ve transparently shared here so often.
This issue is difficult for me as well. What do we fear? Is it the obligation we may incur, that we may fail, that they may shake our faith, that others may see us, or that they may hurt us? Do we lack love…or faith? Or do we simply have other priorities?
These are sobering thoughts for me. Thanks for challenging me to think deeper about it!
Ed
Bob,
True innocents, can we say that any longer? Now that is sobering!
Thanks for stepping into a provoking conversation Bob. I appreciate your thoughts.
Here’s an email I received today regarding this post:
Was checking in and read the most recent addition to the site.
Very powerful story and very relevant to today’s sexually overloaded media blasts. I believe that the question at the end really summed it up nicely.
I have felt that awkward “what does God expect from me in this situation” and believe that he most certainly expects us to take up arms and fight the battle… I also believe that us being able to see the “dangerous” is Satan stepping in causing doubt…the conviction we feel (especially for me) is God urging us to step out in faith, believe in Him and be the blessing!!!
Thanks Joe K for thoughtful and challenging insight. Your spirit humbles me in so many ways.
Ed,
I would have to say in my un-converted years of the past, several had reached out to me for whatever reasons, maybe they felt is was the responsible thing to do, … I haven’t forgotten any of those people in my life who really cared and maybe stepped out of their comfort zone, aunts, uncles, cousins, but I was not a willing recipient of their care and concern. I wasn’t willing to leave the wrong places yet.
There are probably many who start out young in life in the wrong places and just think that is how life is supposed to be, some people hurt continuously and it becomes the norm.
I’m sure there are plenty of hurting people out there that are willing to leave the wrong place but need to be reached, they need that authentic Christian that passes by to stop and help.
I believe God does want us to to step out of our comfort zone to reach out to others. How can we notice the hurting people if we are not looking? Do I just say ‘Hi, how are ya?’ and move on? Do I look for people that are hurting? I’m not sure that I have. Maybe I lack faith in myself, but I trust in God and that is where my faith should be and I sometimes forget that.
Diana,
Thanks for your honesty. Many of us Christians haven’t been looking either.
It seems we’ve become cloistered in our comfortable world with those who think and act like us. We’ve become churches and have lost the passion of a life changing movement.
Here’s a thought that’s hard for me to own. Maybe it isn’t faith we lack. Maybe we simply lack compassion and a love for others. Maybe our world is too filled up with our stuff. And if so, its no wonder the church can no longer powerfully speak into our communities.
Thanks for making me ponder it all a bit deeper!
Ed