At the coal face

I received an email which I want to share. It comes from one of the ministries we support at a distance, and inadequately, but for which I have enormous respect and love. In an understated way, the email reads,

"On Friday we had news of two couples separating - hopefully temporarily, one collapse requiring ambulance (fortunately nothing serious) and almost all our kitchen help away! We were very aware of prayer cover and despite all that the night went well and was not particularly stresssful! Thanks Lord!"

What strikes me, and moves me, is that here we have a group of people genuinely living in community. In the vast majority of churches I visit I see little of this - we are too busy showing how spiritual and how together we are to admit that we are broken, fragile, sin-battered humans on a painful journey of transformation in Christ. I can pretty well guarantee that in the majority of churches in NZ this weekend there were couples whose marriages were hollow shells, or worse; husbands and wives who were overwhelmed with despair, fear, anger and guilt because the key relationship in their life was failing. But we don't talk about that, no thank you.

If we do not create genuine, authentic community then our Christian gatherings become impotent and ultimately pointless. If we cannot cope with pain, failure and sin, then we are nothing like Jesus.

At the coal face, the margins of ministry and society, we find Christ, welcoming, offering grace, and bringing healing. "Thanks Lord!" indeed/