Perspective

Dear Church,

I came to visit you today. I sat on the back row, barely making eye contact lest someone dare start a conversation with me. I didn’t have to worry. No one seemed to notice that I was there. I came today for many reasons. I am curious, searching, hungry, hurting, broken, confused. I am many things. Do I know Jesus? Maybe. Maybe I was looking for Him in what I saw in you. Church is not new to me. I have been to many with much the same result. The result is often that of falling, falling through the cracks in your floors. I am not surprised you did not see me as the cracks are wide and the fall is swift.

Maybe you did see me. Maybe you saw me and in thirty seconds decided you knew me. I am sure my tattoos and piercings tell a story. Maybe my clothes were a bit dated. Maybe you even knew me because someone else told you about me. I am sure everything you might have heard must be true.

I have heard many things throughout the years about church. In spite of everything I heard I came to yours anyway. I thought I would come and form my own opinion. I stayed through the whole service. The message was solid and strong. It was the kind of message meant to stir you to action, to take you beyond your own comfort level. The message was about love. It was about letting the light of Jesus shine in us and to be a light to the world around us. It was about finding needs and helping to meet those needs. The preacher spoke passionately about serving our neighbor.

How ironic that you each had an opportunity to apply the message before you even left the church. I understand though. It was time for lunch, maybe someone else had already taken the time to speak to me. However, no one did. I am not angry. Sadly, I am not even surprised. I just wanted to write and let you know I was there. I thought you might want to work on the cracks in your floor. It just might help the next visitor to not fall through.


Signed,
Visitor
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Dear Visitor,

We saw you come in the church today. We wanted to speak to you but we couldn’t for many reasons. You see, some of us are painfully shy and get nervous around new people. A few of us were so preoccupied with our children that we failed to notice the time passing so quickly. A couple of us have sick family at home or in the hospital and others have recently been widowed. We just aren’t ourselves lately. One member lost her child and it’s all she can do to function every day. Some are new themselves and didn’t even realize that today was your first time visiting. They haven’t gotten to know everyone yet. Of course, you are right about a few. They saw you and felt they knew enough about you from other sources and didn’t want to know you themselves.

We thought you might like to know that since your letter we have taken measures to fix the cracks in our floor. We gathered together in prayer and asked God’s forgiveness. We simply took our eyes off of Jesus and as a result our floors became cracked. We forgot that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. We forgot to follow the two commandments that Jesus used to sum up all of the law. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Christ said that love is the fulfillment of the law. We hope that you will come and see us again very soon and that you would see His love in us.


In Christ’s love,
The Church
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Dear Children,

I saw you all in church today. While it was good to see so many in my Father’s house I was sad. It seems many of you were gathered for the wrong reasons. Some of you came because you had to. You hold a position and, like any job, you came out of duty. Your spirits are dry and tired. You smile and talk and even pray sometimes but your heart is far from me. Your minds are elsewhere and sometimes it is all you can do to just show up.

Others came for similar reasons. You were raised in this church. Showing up on Sunday is just something you do out of habit. You have many friends here and often Sunday is the only time you get to see one another. You’ve been coming so long that even your bible stays here throughout the week. It bothers you sometimes when the church will host a special guest. You feel this prolongs the service and almost hate it when the guest is a missionary or a worker for a charity. You know they are going to ask for money and probably show you some pictures. While your heart is tender for a moment you quickly brush that aside and all is forgotten by the time you make it home for lunch.

Many of you are preoccupied with troubles in your life. Although you know Me, you never quite learned to trust me. It hurts me to see you hurt. My Father has granted me all power to heal, bind up, restore, deliver, set free and provide but still you won’t allow Me to help you. Some of you think that suffering is what is required in order for the world to know you are Mine. You forget that I suffered so that you would not have to and that you may have eternal life and peace in the midst of your trials. I can carry you through anything and you can overcome anything through Me. It is simply a choice you must make.

Some of you came for the first time today. You were seeking answers, a place of refuge, support for things you have hardly been able to give a voice to and because something that you could not explain called out to you and brought you here. Be careful trying to find all of that in man alone. I am what you seek and when you seek Me you will find me for I will not hide myself from you.

To those of you that confess Me as Lord, be mindful and sensitive to My voice. Do not neglect those around you and do not be conformed to this world. Be transformed and be willing to be different. If I am in you then you should naturally be transformed into a peculiar people. Return to Me so that the gifts of the Spirit may be evident in your life, lest your complacency be the reason another soul goes to hell.

I love each of you and urge you seek Me daily in both word and prayer. Show me to the world daily in action, love and attitude.

Yours Eternally,
Jesus