I read something that struck me this morning, "Church hoppers are like wife swappers! They get plenty of honeymoons but never know the deeper joy of committed, costly, enduring love!"
When I read this, names of people started flooding my head. Do you know those people that just go from church to church? They try to get involved, then mess things up and leave. I've experienced that with people in our church. It's sad, it really is. Do you ever view the church as a relationship? Think about this, what if you were to tell me that you really like me but you just can't STAND Libby - how do you think I would feel about you? As a human, I would struggle not to punch you in the face. She's the woman I have devoted my life to and she's my wife! The one I have chosen to be with! So we hear these people say, "I love God, but I hate the church". It makes no sense to me, yet I have been one of those people in the past. I know the institution of the church is a struggle to some, but why? Have you been hurt by the church? Being at the Bridge, I meet many people who have been hurt by the church. They were involved in the church and then something happened. I have a friend like that who is now atheist because of how things went down at his last church. To just completely leave the church because of an incident that didn't sit well with you, how mature is that?
Look at it in a relationship again. Libby and I get into arguments and disagreements - you could call them fights. Now let's say we get in a fight and I decide after that fight I'm done, I'm leaving her. What would you say to me? I would hope someone with some sense would come to me and point out my stupidity and overreaction to something. So why don't we do this to those that leave the church? We write them off as just another church hopper. This is an epidemic that needs help, it's needs our attention. So what can we do to stop it?
Just my observations on a snowy monday morning, feel free to help me process this if you care :-)
