In response to the question, What’s wrong with the world? G.K. Chesterton replied, “I am.” I have come to the conclusion the same can be
said of the Church. The Church is not
perfect because people are not perfect.
That is not to say that there is not room for improvement in some areas,
but criticism will not produce change.
Neither will turning your back on the Church bring about the desired
change. Instead, we need to be moved
with as much compassion for the Church as a whole, as Christ is moved with
compassion for the individuals who make up the Church.
Why is it so easy to extend grace to a struggling brother or
sister in Christ, but withhold that same grace from the gathering of Believers
called the Church? I believe it is a
perception problem. We see the Church as
an “entity” – something that exists by itself or separate from other things. It is much easier to criticize or even
condemn something you perceive to be completely separate or outside yourself. However, the truth is that the Church is the Body of Christ – His hands, His
feet, His life, and His love in this world.
You and me – we are the Body of
Christ, and each one of us is part of it. (I Cor. 12:27). The Church is not some entity separate and
apart from ourselves – it is an integral part of who we are in Him. In fact, God designed the Church to be a beacon of
hope in this world, which is so filled with brokenness and despair.
In Mark 1:40, a man with leprosy approached Jesus and said to Him, “if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus moved
with compassion, stretched out His hand and said to the man, “I am
willing...” and he was healed. The
Church is in need of this kind of compassion – compassion that moves us to willingly extend to the Body of Christ
the same grace and mercy Christ extends to each of us individually. As He will complete the good work He started
in each one of us, so too He will finish the good work He began in the
Church.
So, what’s wrong with the Church? Until this afternoon, I was. How about you?
