Locks And Gates Hinder Christ’s Work In The World

Today’s reading: Romans 15:1-7

I have long found it troubling that my church has few members who live in its very neighborhood.

Further, it bothers me that our beautiful court yard and playground are surrounded by a tall fence that is always securely locked, even on Sundays.

And every time I see a homeless person tug on the door of our locked chapel (I’ve seen it dozens of times!), I think of the small Houston church I have visited twice at nearly midnight, on the way home from Astros games.  Both times I found the beautiful sight of homeless people sleeping peacefully in the pews. No staff or security guards were around.

And it is sad to me that the many kids who walk, ride or skate past our church every day have never seen our youth group’s fun headquarters, complete with a large television, a very comfortable sofa, a pool table, ping pong table, and even an air hockey table. I do my best to keep rage from getting the best of me every time I realize that special care has been taken (by whom, I’m not sure) to assure that even devoted church members like me have no key to that rarely used room. How many times have I seen a couple of kids doing skateboard tricks in our parking lot and had the urge to take a break from my busy day to introduce myself and give them a tour of that room? We could have staged dozens of glorious impromptu ping pong tournaments by now! That alone would have made our church the talk of the neighborhood, I know!

I am tempted to say that I do not wish to sound critical of my church. But I think I do wish to criticize.

If my fellow members of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church should find themselves annoyed with me over this post, then, perhaps, they will find some solace in considering that ours is far from alone in deserving this critique. Many churches — even three others in the very same neighborhood — are similarly prone. Concerns over liability, security, and comfort of a church’s members receive far too much attention throughout all of Christianity today.

In fact, Paul tells us in today’s reading  they should receive no attention.

“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.” (Verses 1-2)

It is important to realize that Paul does not say, “We that are strong, ought to vigilantly protect ourselves from, and eternally avoid, the weak.”

I pray that my church, and each of Christ’s churches throughout the world, will learn to trust God with its blessed facilities. Let all of us Christians give locks, gates, alarms — and fear — much less influence upon our great work.

Thanks be to God for always including us in his glorious creation. May I (and we) always follow His example.