Pilgrim Soldier

I was speaking to someone last night about the situation in their church. They feel that the church they belong to is their family, which was a wonderful thing to say. This person desperately wants to spend more time within this church family, but feels unable to because of the relationship they have with just one of the other people who attend (lets call this person X).

The unfortunate thing about this situation is that the relationships X has in the church has with other people has also led to these others leaving the church as well.

At what point did this become part of church life? Now I know we are dealing with individual humans and sometimes there can be strained relationships in any group of people, but the church is supposed to be a place that makes all people welcome! How can we allow people who are destructive in their behaviour to continue their destructive actions without calling them to account? Why are some people allowed to blatantly live their life in a way that goes against the teaching of the church they attend, yet others are called to account over the slightest transgression?

The Way of Christ is supposed to be about inclusiveness and transformation, but all too often our churches seem to be more and more about alienation and stagnation. The first is so much better, so why can’t people see it?