Tuesday, August 22, 2006

What do you do when someone hurts you?

What do you do when someone hurts you? Even more, what do you do when it's the church that hurts you? How do you handle it? You know that if you retaliate or raise your voice in any way it will only come back to haunt you in the future. Plus, what do you gain in doing that? Jesus said "you have heard it said 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' I tell you that if a brother strikes you on your left cheek, show your other cheek." The context of that statement was this...in the OT Moses gave that law because it was not an eye for an eye. It was a leg for an eye or life for an eye. You kill my donkey so I will kill your son. And so it went. The law came about for fair punishment.

Jesus though came at it another way. Don't strike back at the person who strikes you. Revenge is mines says the Lord. Their justice will come. If you stoop to their level, it will only get ugly. Each blow will be more severe than the one before.
So back to the question above. The bible says we must go to the one who is sinning and try to work it out one-on-one.
If that does not work we bring them before the church. That would be Pastor Parish Relations if they are a pastor. And if that does not work, then we move up the chain. In the Methodist church it's the DS, but the church really has the final say.
But what if both sides don't play by the rules? Half truths can get fit into place quickly. That can actually be miscommunication. He said this or did this. Well I meant it this way. No communication is still mis-communication. If you have problems or issues, they must be dealt with ASAP.
I say all this wondering, when both sides are wrong, but both sides can't forgive and move on, how do you fix it. Is it best to break the relationship and bring another in? I think so. Hopefully in doing that, the issues can be left behind and die with that relationship that died before. Hopefully both sides can see there were mistakes made that could have been avoided. Hopefully now they will both grow and the body of Christ does not suffer because if the strife.
We all make up one body. That is the BOC. If the eyes have a problem and it's not dealt with, the eyes end up getting taken out. The BOC suffers until they are healed.

Pray for the church. Pray that we can open communication and not let it simmer beneath the surface. Pray that all leaders (pastor and lay) can be humble in all situations and serve great doses of grace to the congregation.

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