Church is an amazing place. On Sunday morning, we talk about worship, pray for people to be healed, educate them in the way of Jesus and the scriptures, and sing. We take a special offering for someone—a pizza delivery person, so we can knock their socks off. We welcome former enemies with open arms. We broadcast God’s love to the world.
A little boy with a terminal genetic condition comes in a wheelchair. All hands are on deck to bless him, pray for him, and usher him into the kingdom of heaven.
This is the same place where we hear about cancer and heart attacks every day of the week, counsel rape victims and their families, walk through recovery of the mentally ill and the product of failed home abortions.
Church is incredible. You go from the most horrible wretched painful things in human life into the silliness and lightness of games and laughter. You do it back and forth 10,000 times in a week. Where else does this happen but in a church? It’s all the gravity of social work with all the hilarity of being a kindergarten gym teacher.
This is the Already-Not-Yet reality of Christ’s Kingdom. Already adults giggle like little children, believing in impossible things and bringing them into the avenues of hope. And yet at the same time, it’s so painful to see the not-yet, where we have to struggle against sickness and sin and malice.
Church. What a crazy place. What an amazing gift.