What If
What if?
I've been thinking about the 'What ifs' of being followers of Jesus. And how for decades the church, instead of including has excluded the most vulnerable.
Instead of loving and caring and listening to the narrative of lives, we have tried to push our solution, our desired way of behaviour onto others. So here's some thoughts.
What if
Instead of shaming women, the church embraced them, listened to them and loved them. For years, the church has shamed those who fell pregnant before marriage, pushed them away, stood them aside.
What if
I've been thinking about the 'What ifs' of being followers of Jesus. And how for decades the church, instead of including has excluded the most vulnerable.
Instead of loving and caring and listening to the narrative of lives, we have tried to push our solution, our desired way of behaviour onto others. So here's some thoughts.
What if
Instead of shaming women, the church embraced them, listened to them and loved them. For years, the church has shamed those who fell pregnant before marriage, pushed them away, stood them aside.
What if
Instead of shoving our beliefs in their face, we stood with them, carried them, had love and compassion, created an environment of acceptance and built community, not walls.
We have shamed the outspoken woman, called them emotional and derided their sense of purpose. We have treated them as objects, commented on them 'adding beauty' to the team, denying true value.
(To the men - We want to be acknowledged for the wisdom and innovation we bring, not for the shape of our face or body so you can make remarks about us 'making the team look good'. )
We have placed them into roles, but overridden the thoughts, ideas and innovations, (till a male has the same idea, and surprise, surprise, suddenly, it's the next best thing.)
(Believe me it happens all to often)
What if
We have shamed the outspoken woman, called them emotional and derided their sense of purpose. We have treated them as objects, commented on them 'adding beauty' to the team, denying true value.
(To the men - We want to be acknowledged for the wisdom and innovation we bring, not for the shape of our face or body so you can make remarks about us 'making the team look good'. )
We have placed them into roles, but overridden the thoughts, ideas and innovations, (till a male has the same idea, and surprise, surprise, suddenly, it's the next best thing.)
(Believe me it happens all to often)
What if
Instead, we embraced them, supported them and built safe environments for them to grow in leadership, in courage and in faith, to lead in all of community with the strength they bring.
What if
Instead of speaking of value, we actually showed how valuable they are by listening to them, to their story, to their narrative, without trying to fix or give advice or push a line.
What if
Instead of focusing on difference, we embraced diversity, focused on common ground, common good and common purpose, allowing diversity to flourish and thrive in all its glory.
What if
Instead of trying to 'control our flock' we set them free to become true seekers and finders of truth and life.
There are numerous other What If's.
What if we dropped the male australian stereotype and allowed our men the safety to explore what it really means to be male.
What if we embraced those struggling with gender identity and listened to them, to their story, to their concerns, their joys, their struggles, their heartache and their breakthroughs.
What if,
We loved like Jesus did, giving hope to the brokenness in our world without ever forcing it to follow, but providing a lighted pathway of life, love and acceptance to the hurting, to the vulnerable, to the poor.
What if
Instead of speaking of value, we actually showed how valuable they are by listening to them, to their story, to their narrative, without trying to fix or give advice or push a line.
What if
Instead of focusing on difference, we embraced diversity, focused on common ground, common good and common purpose, allowing diversity to flourish and thrive in all its glory.
What if
Instead of trying to 'control our flock' we set them free to become true seekers and finders of truth and life.
There are numerous other What If's.
What if we dropped the male australian stereotype and allowed our men the safety to explore what it really means to be male.
What if we embraced those struggling with gender identity and listened to them, to their story, to their concerns, their joys, their struggles, their heartache and their breakthroughs.
What if,
We loved like Jesus did, giving hope to the brokenness in our world without ever forcing it to follow, but providing a lighted pathway of life, love and acceptance to the hurting, to the vulnerable, to the poor.
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