Where do you find the most welcome environment or the most welcoming people?
In contrast where do you find the most judgmental environment or the most judgmental people?
The other day several friends and I had gathered at a local tavern to show some kindness to some co-workers who just got laid-off. I found it a little strange to consider the welcoming environment in such a place. It occurred to me that the most welcoming places in our society should be places other than taverns. The places of the most intense atmosphere of welcome should be churches. Yet sadly we are all too familiar with the fact that this is not often the case.
The places that should hold out hope for welcome are the very places that most often offer only judgment. Our world is often upside-down. Like so many other bizzaro-world situations we encounter here, the way things should be is most often not the way things are. This is the inevitable result of sin: the downside-up turning of rightness.
Yet I remain filled with hope that one day all of the upside-downs of this world will be corrected. All the wrongs will be righted. And all the injustices will have their day in court with the One who is Infinitely Just.
Until then may we endeavor to flip over as many upside-downs as possible.
"No man has a right to be idol, there is so much misery to alleviate."
- William Wilberforce
3 comments:
I agree. Too many things are upside-down.
For once, I'm going to side with the Church on this one. Here's why. I daily work in an environment where troops backtalk and backstab their brethren in law enforcement...whether of the same color uniform or not. I also know several non-believers who demonstrate their naivete in that they are mired in sin, yet so judgmental toward those who beat their wives, or who are alcoholics, saying, "I'm glad I'm not like them."
Yet, I see Christians WORLDWIDE supporting orphaned children, adopting and fostering children, setting up hospitals, caring for the sick and needy, etc. People may suggest Christianity is out of step with our culture and irrelevant. But I don't see any "Saint Abib's General Hospital", or "Saint Rahmanjit Singh's Home for Orphans", etc.
It's Christians who have stepped up to the plate...and it's humans who have failed each other. Christian or not. I see Christians on a regular basis lending non-judgmental hands toward those who are not like us.
Interestingly, when a friend of ours brother died the siblings wanted to do the memorial completely at the local bar. These people clearly have their support system set up there. They also had NO CLUE what kind of support system is available at our church though. The one sister that does dabble in our church and Christianity often can't handle (emotionally?, pridefully?) the kind of support often provided to her through the church.
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