the church, anger, social justice-also known as Tuesday in my world

We went to church on Sunday.  For people who have known me this should not be significant.  I am a "church goer,"  at least I was until I found myself in a place of Sunday mornings at home and not going. I'm not going to get into all the reasons of not going.  I'm still trying to process that.  But part of it was anger and disillusionment with "church" and what it is and it's value in my world.

Anyhoo, this Sunday we went to a church that a friend invited us to go to.  And what do you think that pastor spoke about?  Anger, specifically Jesus' anger in the temple. Really, how did he know I was coming?   In Matthew 21, John 2 and Mark 11, the story of Jesus's anger in the temple courts is told.  The point on Sunday was Jesus's anger with "institutionalized religion" and how far it had gotten from what it was intended.  And I get that. I love the "church universal".  I love fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  I have loved hearing testimonies, praying with and celebrating with them regardless of what building they worship in on Sundays.  

But I have looked at churches and conflicts in churches and wonder "How angry would Jesus be if he came into this meeting?"  A church puts on a nice face on Sunday mornings but when you get to looking at how pastors are treated and interactions in "private meetings" that are mean, I wonder "Is this how Jesus called us to treat each other?  Or treat anyone for that matter?"  What is it in a church that fills people with this "I am so clearly right and you are so obviously wrong" attitude and why is it in a church that people feel like its ok to just spout that off and be unwilling to give.  I have witnessed these conflicts from afar and I have been in the thick of it.  It's real and I don't have the answers to why.  But the pastor pointed out on Sunday that in the paragraph immediately following where Jesus "loses it" he goes on  with his ministry. (Matthew 21:12-14).  He doesn't stew, he doesn't take time to hash it out with his disciples, he doesn't need to tell everyone his side and sway them with his arguments, he doesn't pout, he doesn't send nasty emails, he doesn't go directly to the high priest and tell him what a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad job he is doing and he's got to go.  No, no he doesn't do that.  He goes on with his ministry.  Now that was a point well taken and I pray that whoever is lead to read this and whoever needs to hear it that the Holy Spirit is sitting heavy and the conviction (NOT condemnation) is present.  If you are struggling wtih anger and the church, follow Jesus's example of righteous anger, deal with it and go on with your ministry.  

I studied this same story as John recounted it with a friend a couple of years ago.  You can find it in John 2.  We noticed that it is consistently mentioned about overturning the people selling doves.  In Leviticus (I think) it talks about how if you couldn't afford a "big" offering, you could offer a dove.   In fact, Jesus's parents offered the doves in Matthew when they presented him at the temple, which told me he grew up not as a person of wealth but among the poor.  And maybe the poor where being charged too much for the doves.  Maybe they were being taken advantage of. And when we studied that passage my thought was about Jesus's anger for injustice for the poor.  And it's ok to be angry about that too.  It's ok to be angry about cruelty, injustice, and bullying.  

Let me tell you a story.  I had a patient.  He was homeless. He was older.  He did not have an ID because it kept getting stolen or someone took it.   He had an old head injury and his speech and his memory was affected.  He walked with a cane. He was sent out of a facility the same day with the phone number and address to a mission and money for a cab.  He chose to go to the liquor store and buy a pint of vodka.  That's where the police found him and brought him to me. Thank you very little.  He came in drunk but sobered up in a  few hours.  He knew was not familiar with the area, I think he knew a major storm was coming and he was afraid to leave because he didn't know where to go.  Now some of you would stop right there and say, he made his choice and now he needs to deal with it. And I could have too and I have said "Too bad, so sad.  Bye, bye now." to plenty of patients but there was something in this that wouldn't let me do that.  

Because of his head injury he could not tell me too much about his history, his resources or his support but he did know his mother's phone number.  So I called this sweet woman in the midwest so far from her son.  She gave me his background and I heard the hurt and fear in her voice.  And my mother's heart was pricked and I knew if one of my kids was that far away from me I would pray someone would treat them with kindness.  After much debate and discussion it was determined he could sleep in the lobby overnight and then get a cab to the mission in the morning.  Feeling good about that, I called his mom and told her he'd be ok for the night and clocked out and headed out the door.  On my way to the car, something told me to go tell him that I let him know that his mom knew he'd be ok.  I went to the lobby and couldn't find him.  I asked the security officer and he said that he was getting his things together to leave.  I asked if that was what the gentleman wanted and he (the officer) said he had to go.  The rain had stopped and it was time to go.  He couldn't stay here.  Never mind that it was supposed to rain all night.  

Well, a "conversation" ensued between the officer and I about what I said was "supposed" to happen and what he said "was going to" happen.  He clearly didn't see my crown or scepter that made me queen of the world and justice and good and he wasn't hearing it.  So before I got myself into too much more trouble I left and I called my supervisor, who was at home and probably thinking he'd left that place behind him.  And he told me he'd try to make a call and I told him I'd try to forget about it  (I tend to hang on to things) and then I hung up and I cried.  Because that's what I do when I am sad and I don't know how to fix things.  And I prayed.  And I left it to Jesus.  Because he knows this man.  He knows his mom.  He knows I did all that I could do.  And He's got it all in his hand.  And that's how alot of my stories end these days.  Let it go.  Trust.  I did all I could.  I did the right thing.  right?  

Any way, anger for injustice is ok too.  

Anger for not getting your way, not ok.  Hurting people, breaking hearts, causing insecurity in anger.  Not ok. Very, very bad.  I am the first to admit, my anger is more unjustified that righteous.  But I think sometimes we who get angry, start to fall into the trap that all anger is bad.  That's not true either.  The principle to remember is "In your anger do not sin."  (Ephesians 4:26)  

And what does the Lord require of you?  To do justice, to love mercy and walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)  That's not too hard.  right?

joy