“It seems there’s an element of ‘church’ in America that shoots its wounded.”
First of all, this is not about the Wounded Warriors charity, which I support. This is about the too many Christians across our nation who have been wounded by those they believed to be followers of Christ. It seems there’s an element of “church” in America that shoots its wounded. In fact, the church is the only army I know that shoots its wounded.
Notice I used a small “c” when referring to these churches. If they were Churches, big “C,” they would be going into the spiritual battlefields of this nation and bringing the wounded into the field hospital, which is what the Church is called to be. Human nature is corrupted by our sin nature; sins wound us spiritually. When you’re wounded, a hospital is a great place to be. I know from personal experience!
Small-“c” churches seem to focus on outward, superficial religion. Anyone who doesn’t meet their definition of “spiritual” or doesn’t look like a good person is pejoratively branded. Just like the triage of a military field hospital is messy, so is Christianity. Jesus came to save sinners, and like the Apostle Paul said, “of whom I am the worst.” (1 Timothy 1:15, NIV)
I wasn’t proud of my past. Growing up in an alcoholic, dysfunctional home and constantly being belittled and put down carried over into my adult life. On the outside, I was a proud Marine (my wife would say arrogant), but on the inside, my life was a train wreck (or shipwreck — I was a Marine, after all). It wasn’t just the nightmares of Vietnam; there was also the voice of an abusive parent telling me I’d never amount to anything. As an angry alcoholic who didn’t understand what was going on in my head (and heart), I looked at my life, and it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. I was that loser! But one day, we stumbled into a church that would change everything. The folks there saw through the self-confident, arrogant mask I wore and saw a wounded soul. Instead of pushing me away, they embraced us and showed us a better way — not by preaching (though it was good preaching), but by loving us even in our mess. That church embraced two hurting souls and loved us into the Kingdom of God. Nearly 50 years ago now, our ministry to other hurting people began in that church.
So, here’s the deal: Those people outside the Church, calling us Jesus freaks, homophobes, Islamophobes, haters, blah blah blah — they’re actually wounded themselves. You see, all the trappings of this world will never satisfy the God-sized hole inside of us. They’re hopelessly lost, wounded, angry, and empty if they’re honest with themselves, just like me and you.
If the churches in America are going to heal the divide, we need to realize these people are not the enemy; they are simply Satan’s tools to cause hate and division. If we are going to be His Church on earth, that means we need to love the unlovely, just as Christ loved us.
“And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”
Jude 22-23, ESV
So, let’s put our big boy and big girl pants on and ask God to help us love these angry, lost souls the way He loved us. They are wounded, just as we once were.
What say you?
Adapted from Men of Honor essay by Roger Helle, 15 July 2024