Setting broken bones...

(Based on a ministry experience in Cancun and dedicated to a friend elsewhere.)

A myriad of complexities surrounds a brother "overtaken in a fault" (Galatians 6:1). Each incident brings with it a unique set of elements and circumstances. Considering a blog entry on the subject is like, "where do I start?"

But there is one thing that I do know for sure:

I so want him back!!!

And better than before!!!

I think Jesus does, too.

“I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick...” (Ezekiel 34:16a)

Refreshing bones is a challenging, but fun, sort of ministry. If I do it right, I make others happy. And that makes me happy.

Setting broken bones is a different process... helping people find Jesus, who helps them to put their lives back together so meaningfully that they cannot but desire to serve him.

There is yet another ministry: to believers who have fallen and whose broken bones were not set properly. For me, this is where it gets ugly.

I know someone who broke her arm when she was little and the bone was not set correctly. She is ok now. But when you see her, you can tell that she broke her arm at some point in her life and that it has not been the same since.

I know people that have fallen down and broken their spiritual bones. Somehow, the broken bones were not set correctly. As soon as you see them, you are sad because it looks like they will never be the same again.

Is it all the fault of the ones that fell down? How good am I, really, at setting broken bones?

I have sort of an idea about refreshing bones; I understand the theory of setting broken bones; but I feel like a rookie when it comes to people whose broken bones were set in such a way as to leave them different... and not in a good way.

I know that I cannot fix anybody's broken spiritual life. I just wonder if I am afraid to face the complexities involved; if I am afraid to shine a light bright enough to expose my own inability to properly set broken bones.

I confess that my own ideas of how broken bones should be set can get in God's way.

But beyond that, some of the responsibility for poorly set broken bones comes from a source that I fear; one that I do not like to talk about when the bright lights come on for Sunday services: the strain of fundamentalism that I packaged my Christianity in was part of the problem.

There were attitudes and assumptions implicitly projected as part of being a "real" Christian that hampered my ability to set broken bones.

Sometimes we bone-setters should be sued for malpractice... partly, because we may have had a hand in the bones getting broken to begin with.

Instead of whispering about the walking wounded in God's kingdom and what went wrong inside of them, maybe it would be more productive for me to shine a light on my own bone setting skills.

Dear brother who fell and broke your spiritual bones: I wish I could hug you and tell you to your face, "It was not all your fault! You were set up for a fall!". Jesus loves you more than you seem to accept right now. He wants you back... and so do I! I will always love you... Greg.