I recently received
a very puzzling “Friend Request” on my Facebook account for Folllow Illustrated. The request came in from a woman who had
dogged my steps at a church for six years.
She was indefatigable in her gossip and under-mining me throughout the
course of my ministry. In a weird way, I
was impressed by her unswerving persistence to her mission – it was just a
lousy mission. And don’t think I
imagined my persecution by this woman. A
member of the church board took my wife and I to lunch to apologize for our
treatment. A high school classmate of
this woman called me one day to explain how thirty years earlier in high school
this woman had gone about destroying people who competed against her for class
office and school prominence. I was
relieved to be informed of all this. I
often say, “Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get me.”
Overall, I was quite
confused by this woman’s relentless antagonism.
Her daughter once wrote a school paper about “the most influential
person in my life” – I was the subject of that paper. The woman once stood in the doorway of my
office plaintively inquiring of me, “How can I get my husband to be more
involved in the spiritual development of our kids?” Hmmmm.
By the way, her husband was an elected member of the church board. I’m about to gag, let’s get a word from our
Sponsor:
With [our tongues] we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. (James 3:9-10)
Over the course of
my church involvement, I’ve been a Sunday school teacher, a deacon, and elder,
an associate pastor, supposedly a co-lead pastor, and a senior pastor. Church leaders (at all levels) beg people to
consider the claims of the Gospel and to become engaged in “the life of the
church”. Time after time, I’ve seen non-believers and new Christians get involved in the church only to be scalded by the
contempt, back-biting-gossip, character assassination, and down-right unholy mean-spiritedness
that goes on every Sunday morning in America’s “houses of worship”. I don’t blame anyone for running from the
church as if it were on fire… in many cases it is. Even Jesus, our Sponsor, agreed with getting some
distance from unsavory characters:
“As you enter the house, give it your greeting. If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.” (Matthew 10:12-15)
Jesus personally
knew what it was like to be despised (see Isaiah 53:3). He suffered rejection from the beginning of
His life to the very bitter end (see Matthew 27:41-44). I’m NOT comparing myself to Jesus in any
way. AND I am following the admonition
of Jesus to the frail humans he sent out to ministry on earth. Many times, I’ve entered a “house that does
not receive me” as in this present case.
When that happens, I try to follow the words of Jesus and “shake the
dust off [my] feet”. So I replied to
Mrs. Smiling-In-Your-Face-While-Stabbing-You-In-The-Back as follows (unedited
except for the name of the church):
“I received an email saying that you wanted to be Facebook friends with FollowIllustrated Clark Smith. I don't know what you are searching for, but you will not find it here. You are one of the most evil people I have ever met. I had to resign my employment at [such-and-such church] specifically because of YOU. You ruined my life and my career. Now you are stalking me on Facebook. Go away. Go far away. Go to the remotest point you can think of. Leave. Me. Alone.”
Jesus promised a
destiny worse than what was visited upon Sodom and Gomorrah for those who
reject ones who come with His blessing. I
don’t know what this snippy little haus frau deserves – that’s not up to me to
decide. I do know that you can pretend
to keep all the commandments you want, but if you can’t keep your tongue in
check… well, for the sake of your beneficiaries you should consider if your
life insurance has a “Sodom and Gomorrah” clause in it.
For those of us
desirous truly following Jesus daily and not just singing in the choir on Sunday, I want to
give you peace. You are not required to
be a punching bag for
people with unresolved personal issues Followers of Jesus are commanded to “Go!”. We are not commanded to “Stay”. Sometimes the leaving is not on your own
terms, but it is always healthiest to find the place where your blessing is received. Let me know if I can pray for you and your
need to leave a bad situation. I will
happily do so. I’ve been there.
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