But all I hear is ‘BRAINS!!!’”
“It isn’t Jesus I have a beef with. It’s church.” I hear this over and over.
And over again. When I (gently) probe more deeply—after they accept that I really agree with them and that I also just want things to be better (even though I “go to church”)—what I’m told is a story that sounds a little like this:
“Well, it’s not the church building that weirds me out, it’s all of those people in the pews.
For me, going to church is like walking into a building and then realizing I’ve walked into a room full of zombies. And all of them are looking at me like they want to tear into my flesh.
And that look on their faces? It’s almost like they’re thinking ‘If we could just find the right words to say, those magic words that would show them the right way, our way. Then they would see how right we are.
What’s worse—it’s like they’re trying to get me to eat some of the brains they’re eating. And when I say ‘No, thank you,’ it’s like they feel sorry for me that I don’t have the ‘life’ they do. But, at the same time, it’s like they’re mad at me, like I rejected them just because I don’t want to eat what they’re eating.
Honestly? What I see is a bunch of scary-looking church people. They’re looking at me with those hungry and greedy eyes. They’re beckoning, trying to wave me in as they chant words of ‘love.’ But all I hear is ‘BRAINS!!!’”
I just finished reading Drops Like Stars by Rob Bell, and his writing makes me think that maybe, someday, I might be healthy enough to go back to church. Or, if not healthy, at least not so sick. And I know, I know all about Jesus loving the poor lost sinner, and bringing my sickness and sin to the cross, but whatever. It isn’t Jesus I have a beef with. It’s church. Church makes my neck hurt. But I miss it.
this is just the way of the world joe said, from Ass Over Elbows
