"It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.”
Hubert H. Humphrey
I have to add not only a moral test of governments but churches as well. With a recent Sunday set aside to bring into view life and even being called the Sanctity of Human life Sunday, the things that I have learned about over the past year made me even more aware than ever of how often people look at the beginning of life and not the end. Of how people often times discount those that are considered to be older, the senior citizens in our lives. Often some forget that the seasoned citizens know so much and can teach all of us so much. They are pushed away, told that they are no longer needed, or at least not for most things. Instead of Peacemaker seminars training "teams" to guard a church, perhaps the best peacemaking of all would be to train teams to love all people, the young and old, the alive and the barely alive. If there were teams such as this, there would be no need for teams to enforce the peace.
My aunt is now one of the oldest members in my former church. She will be 99 years old in a few months and it is only when they remind her of how much she hasn't given in money does any mail from them come to her. No newsletters of which I could read to her, no phone calls from most, just how much money she hasn't given. She gave her life to the church, hours upon hours and now that she is old it seems to have forgotten her.
It reminds me of my momma as she lay in a geri chair in the nursing home, unable to speak, or walk or even to itch her nose and yet her attitude of pressing on even in the impossible taught everyone around her the lesson of perseverance in all things. Even as she was, she taught all of us around her that she had much to give through her spirit. Everyone, no matter their age or handicap is viable in this life and we should not forget this. Shame on us who forget this.
I cannot help but stand in horror as I watch my former church turn into something so unkind. I cannot believe that I too looked the other way and never questioned. I was in a small group study there, brought to us from Rick Warren, whose first words in his book were about how it is not about me, yet seeing that it is now all about them at that old, creaking church. It is all about the power, the payback and the looking the other way if something makes one uncomfortable. It is all about making excuses to justify the abuse or dismissal of young and old if they stand in some people's way or if they try to ask questions. It is all about bringing in a peacemaking program to program people to believe that all is well there if you do as they say. If you do not, the program with it's legalistic properties will bind a person who questions it to mediation/arbitration that will make them understand the ways. This is all behind closed doors, of course, should the leaders decide that you need it. I've said it before and I am sure that I will say it again, it scares me to think that the powers in some churches, powers that might not really be peacekeeping, but people controlling are happening through a peacemaking program with good intentions, but that gives far too much power to those in power. It scares me that this has a possibility of spreading to many churches under the guise of happy congregations, all the while the peace teams quietly watch and guard to be sure that everyone follows their way. What kind of church needs guards? God calls us to be different from the corrupt world around us. “They are not of the world," said Jesus, "just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." John 17:15-18
Government programs, schools, the medical world and now more and more churches are trying to change themselves to follow corporate America.
Many haven't but many there have sold their souls for the prestige of some office, or name, or position. How many look the other way from grievous wrongs being done? Not only the wrongs that have been done to my family and myself, but others there. Some still in the shadows for fear of one reason or another, some soon to be gone. How can they call themselves a church of God and continually hurt people in the name of God? My heart won't let the questions stop. How many people have to be hurt before the creaking ship of a church sinks?
How God must be crying as he watches his children do what they are doing. The other night, as we were driving along and the rain was tumbling down all around us, I looked out of the car window, saw the huge drops of rain rolling down the windowpanes and felt as if I was being covered in God's tears as he stood above and watched with a broken heart.
