Thursday, February 26, 2009

Are We Shooting Our Wounded?

The other day I had an interesting conversation with a person who said "Christians are the only group that kill their wounded." I was immediately offended by his statement. I mean, this was coming from a guy whose idea of being a Christian consists of praying over meals and going to church three times a year on Christmas, Mother's Day, and Easter. I didn't feel that he was qualified to make that statement. However, that didn't make what he said any less real. The statement bounced around in my head triggering random memories, images, and thoughts. Then it finally landed and sat motionless on my heart....I was convicted about how true it really was.

Having grown up in church, I've seen a LOT. I've seen cliques form and dissipate. I've seen men and women of God rise and fall. But one thing that has always concerned me is how quickly and easily we (as Christians) are able to do away with people when they fall.

Let's talk about Prophetess Juanita Bynum for a minute...



A lot of people that got delivered from her "No More Sheets" sermon and book. Don't act like she didn't have you laying prostrate on your living room floor after seeing her walk around with that sheet tied around her waist. Here's a little sample to refresh your memory.



Back then, we couldn't get enough of Juanita Bynum. Everybody and their mama's mama was talking about how awesome this woman of God was. But what happened? She had some trouble in her marriage and all of a sudden she has lost her credibility. NOW she's a fake, a phony, a false prophet. And why? Because she's human? We got it backwards y'all. Does the fact that she had problems in her marriage make her any less authentic? Let's say all the other rumors about her are true too...just for the sake of argument. Does that change the fact that God has used this woman to bring thousands to Christ? I mean, I know that with ministry comes a higher level of accountability but she is, after all, accountable to Christ right? So why have we already sent her to hell?

Why do we act as though we have a heaven or a hell to put people in? None of us are perfect. We all struggle with something on a daily basis. Mine might be promiscuity, yours might be a cursing tongue, someone else's might be a jealous spirit. The Bible says in the second chapter of James, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.”If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker."
So, it's all equally sinful.

If that is true, then the unwed pregnant mother sitting in the congregation is no more sinful than the gossiping choir director, the adulterous deacon that calls the church to worship every Sunday, or the usher that struggles with an alcohol addiction. The Bible says that we should forgive so that we may also be forgiven. But what do we do? We talk about them, we shun them, we want nothing to do with them. We would rather talk at them than talk to them. We would rather beat them up with the word than show them how that word helped you out of the same mess they are in. Don't you think it's time we destraddled the high horse?



Our youth need us! I don't know about y'all, but I'm afraid for our youth. The boys are dropping like flies (dead or jail) and the girls are popping out babies like nobodies business. Why? Because we've been talking AT them and not TO them. We have become so savedsantifiedandfilledwiththeholyghost that we are unapproachable. We don't want to tell them that we've been a drug dealer or user. We don't want to tell them that we've had more sexual partners than we can recall. We don't want to tell them about the baby mama/daddy drama that we've been dealing with. We don't want to tell them what the consequences for our mistakes have been. NO! We want to show them what appears to be a finished product....and then treat them like failures when they can't figure out how to get there. We shoot them....instead of nursing them back to health.



We gotta stop killing off our wounded, because those are the people who are going to bring others to Christ. Maybe when we learn to stop killing off our wounded, people who are bearing their wounds silently won't be afraid to speak up. Someones salvation could be depending on it.

1 comment:

  1. That is funny that you mentioned that because just the other day I was talking to a friend on the phone who is going through physically, and people have been calling her saying things like "You need to do this and that, etc...". This broke me down because the people that had been calling were calling because of "show" not because of their concern for this individual. I told my friend if these people can't call you to make sure you are ok, or if you need any assistance, praying for you, etc... then they aren't sowing good seeds into your life. Here you are sick as a dog and all everyone else can think about it is (as an example) "The Ushers ain't doin they job and can't make it without you" or "The sopranos in the choir sound bad so you need to hurry up and get back in the choir" like everything stops because you aren't there.

    We as Christians fail to remember and practice that God is in control of everything, nothing revolves around an individual cause we aren't needed...we are wanted. As in Genesis after God created the heavens and the earth, He praised Himself. He doesn't need our praise, he wants it.
    BIG DIFFERENCE.

    Anyway back to the main topic of discussion, as she kept talking to me, I could hear the her spirit crying out for help. I didn't want to know her business, didn't care be involved but I cared enough to let her know that if God wants it to work out, then it will but you can't rush nothing that God has planned for you. I felt like I had to be a shield or some sort of doctor to her because she was so hurt by church folks (the people who are suppose to love her inspite of her situation). Maybe I"m taking it out of context but I felt disappointed when I called her. I was concerned because that is my sister in Christ and I feel the same about anyone I know, even if I don't like you, I'm going to pray that God fixes me and gives me a heart to love you and pray for you the very BEST He has when I know my flesh wants the complete opposite. That is just how I feel. I'll holla, God Bless and love you lots! GTG class.

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