Gang Related
I found this over at a site I was reading.
A while back, an ex-gang member got baptized at our church. He fell in love with Jesus and turned from his old lifestyle. But after several months at the church, he stopped attending. When we asked him why he stopped attending, he answered: "I had the wrong idea of what church was going to be like. When I joined the church, I thought it was going to be like joining a gang. You see, in the gangs we weren't just nice to each other once a week-we were family."
All I can say is 'OUCH'
Posts
OUCH is right.
ReplyDeletegoes with the truth hurts, doesn't it?
I once heard a pastor say that he'd felt more love in some crackhouses than he'd felt in some churches. Sad, but true. It's heartbreaking to see how far we've come from the first churches. They banded together, feeding each other, loving each other, and meeting each other's needs. But the problem is two-sided. Some people only want to receive. Some people are unwilling/unable to receive. Both are equally tragic.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling this isn't uncommon either.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I realize the time/date stamp is off but for me this comment is the next day and I'm still thinking about this post. This would be an excellent wake up call for a lot of churches out there. Would you agree?
ReplyDeleteRead that same article on Catalyst. While I am certainly not a proponent of gangs, there is a sense of community within them.
ReplyDeleteWow. That's enough to humble any church.
ReplyDeleteWhat a powerful statement. Short and poignant. I don't think that is the case with our church; there is a family there, but I did have to take the first step: become a real member and not just someone who "visited" once a week. In a family, all people actively participate in the relationships. No one just visits the house. I wonder what effort the gang member made to be part of the family.
ReplyDelete