Gaping Wounds

I was in a bad jet ski accident on Sunday.  In it and through it I realized that there are many parallels and some very noticeable differences to being physically injured and spiritually injured.  It is an interesting comparison.

First, I drove the ski to the wake to jump it.  I drove it there, no one else drove it there.  I hit the wake and I landed badly.  I did it.  The ski didn’t drive itself there.  It hit the water exactly how the controller told it to using direction and speed.  The only reason it was bad was because I, as the controller, did a bad job and the result was a very bad injury.  It was no one else’s fault and it is ludicrous to even think that it would have been someone else’s fault.  No one would ever debate this.

When we have bad accidents spiritually, why is it so hard for someone to admit that they are there because they did it?  They made the choices to be where they are and it is no one else’s fault.  Yet, when someone tries to tell another that they are where they are because of bad choices to sin when they had been taught by God the right way and had simply not obeyed, they turn on you like a raging lion.  No one made the choices for them.  They made their choices and controlled their direction and speed the way they wanted to.  It is their fault and no one else’s, but getting someone to take that responsibility is incredibly difficult.  But, it is necessary for there to ever be repentance.

However, it is possible to convince people that my injury is not my fault.  I could say that if my cousin had not wanted to go ride the ski then I wouldn’t have gone and wouldn’t have gotten hurt.  So, really it’s his fault.  I could say that if that boat hadn’t been there then I wouldn’t have been tempted to go jump the wave, so it’s the boat’s fault.  I could say the ski handlebar should have been rated to a higher limit and it shouldn’t have broken, so it’s the jet ski manufacturer’s fault.  See how easy that is?  Even with the stark reality that the only reason I have a gaping wound in my leg is I drove the ski into a wake at an unreasonable speed beyond my capability to control, I am able to not take responsibility for it.

Doesn’t everyone do this spiritually?  We are there with an injured spirit and we can “spin” our situation to anyone anywhere that it is because of this person or that person.  If only they’d have done this or that we would not be there.  We can so spin it, even to spiritually discerning people, that they sort of understand how we could choose sin over faith and even condemn those who try to show us the real reality.  This is an alarming failure of the modern church and of Christians who would rather not accept their reality of who they are over any kind of make believe that lessens the reality of the corruption in their heart.

Second, if I was to not get my physical wound attended to by a doctor, people would be quick to call me crazy.  I mean, if I was to walk around with a 4”x3” open wound with exposed inner leg people would be quick to offer help, to offer a ride to a doctor, to even provide immediate care until proper care could be given.  I could refuse such help, but everyone would work overtime to convince me to get the wound cared for.

If only the spiritual church worked like this.  People walk around us daily with gaping spiritual wounds.  If we only allow for God to show us these wounds we would see them.  It is remarkable at what someone can have going on in their life and we will refuse to show concern spiritually.  We will not even offer immediate care, offer to the spiritual hospital, or enough concern to try to convince them to get help and not remain as they are.

We as a walking, talking church in a world of spiritually damaged people must become more aware of people’s injuries.  There is only one physician for the damaged spiritual condition and His name is Jesus.  I pray that God would help us to see those hurting around us and that we’d be willing to care for them.  I pray that we’d take responsibility for our sin problem, in that we are the one who did it and it is no one else’s fault.  Then may we turn it over to Jesus to heal us and make a way.