The following song never ceases to move me. To remind me of Jesus' compassion and tender kindness. To compel me to stop judging and to love. The way He loved us. In our mess.
Wounded Soldier by Helen Baylor
See all the wounded
Hear all their desperate cries for help
They're pleading for shelter and for peace
Our comrades are suffering
Come let us meet them and their need
Don't let a wounded soldier die, oh no
Come let us pour the oil
Come let us bind their hurt
Let's cover them with a blanket of His love
Come let us break the bread
Come let us give them rest
Let's minister healing to them
Don't let another wounded soldier die
Weakened from battle
Satan came in to steal their lives
Don't let a wounded soldier die
I can't stop thinking about a story I recently read, about a woman who met the man of her dreams at Bible school. He courted her oh-so-tenderly but changed right after the wedding. It wasn't too long before hitting her became a common occurrence, even when she was pregnant with their child. She fled with her son when he was three months old, finally realizing that the cycle of violence wasn't going to end.
Unfortunately, many members of her church condemned her for leaving her husband, for "breaking" her vows. And stood with her husband instead. She was offered very little help and support but found a way to slowly rebuild her life. A year later, she is working at a great job that God provided for her, able to shelter and support her son, thankful for a new life, for hope, for healing. She is a part of a new church that has welcomed her with open arms, one that encourages her to share her story to reach out to others in similar situations.
Why, oh why, oh why are we so quick to judge? To condemn? To distance ourselves from the uncomfortable, the messy, to push away from what is not ideal in our limited vision? Like the Pharisees ready to stone the woman caught in the act of adultery, we often respond harshly before understanding the whole of a situation.
I've always wanted to attend a church where a prostitute could walk in and be treated like a lady. And I was privileged to be a part of one like that in Georgia. In fact, they had a ministry to strippers, with practical outreaches to the ladies to assist them where they were at and to help them when they wanted a change. One of my friends who lead that ministry was a former stripper - she has the biggest, boldest, most compassionate heart for Jesus of anyone I've ever met. It took a lot of time, patience, kindness, and people willing to get involved to get her cleaned up, off drugs, established in the Bible and in her new life. My husband had the honor of videotaping her for an international television program, and the response to her testimony was tremendous. Here's her story if you'd like to see it.
Y'know, Jesus was kind. He was straight-forward yet gentle with the messy people He encountered. He was only severe with the religious leaders who oppressed others with their rules and judgment. They weren't an accurate representation of God's huge love and grace. Like the story of the Good Samaritan...
Come let us pour the oil
Come let us bind their hurt
Let's cover them with a blanket of His love
Come let us break the bread
Come let us give them rest
Let's minister healing to them
Don't let another wounded soldier die
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