I bet the title might make some of you think I'm going on a rant about the 2nd Amendment. I'm not. It has been said that the only army that shoots its wounded is the Christian army. What is that intended to convey? For most people, it's a complaint about how "judgmental" Christians can be. Not for me. I recognize a tendency among church people in particular to find the sins of others repellant. Not their own, of course, but others. "Oh, you're divorced? Oh, my." "What? You have a problem with porn? Maybe we don't need to spend time together." You know, certain sins that Christ has pardoned but we have determined to be unpardonable to us. It doesn't matter if they've repented. A Christian woman who, at some point in her life, might have had an abortion -- even if it was before meeting Jesus -- might be rejected from "common company" if it became known. That's what I think of when I think of "shooting our wounded."
"But," someone might say, "any judgment is just that, isn't it?" Well, that's a problem, you see. We are commanded, for instance, "If anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted" (Gal 6:1). If "nonjudgmental" is the requirement, how would we ever be able to recognize that a fellow believer is in a trespass? In Jesus's famous, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged" (Matt 7:1) (considered by many to currently be the best known verse in the Bible), you have but to read on a few more verses to see, "First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matt 7:5). That is not, "Never see the speck in your brother's eye," but "Make sure you're not guilty of the same thing." Thus, it is not, "Never judge anyone," but "Be careful to look to yourself first." Even when Jesus (famously) told the woman "caught in adultery," "I do not condemn you, either. Go, and sin no more" (John 8:11). See that? Jesus actually acknowledged her sin and told her to stop it.
What does it mean to "shoot the wounded" in our context, then? If restoring someone in sin is love -- is "bearing one anothers burdens" (Gal 6:2) -- then that is not "shooting the wounded." We must love each other, especially those in the faith (John 13:35), and ignoring a sin problem is not love. Addressing it in love is not "shooting the wounded." It's dressing wounds. We must not be those judgmental stereotypes that reject repentant sinners that Christ has forgiven. That is repugnant ... and dangerous (Matt 6:15). Let's not be that kind of shooter.
6 comments:
“Dressing the wounds” is a helpful way to think of this. Gal. 6:1 tells me to confront my brother with the aim to restore. In Matt. 7:5, Jesus did imply that the “speck in my brother’s eye” should be removed, i.e. is harmful to him; that says to me that it would be unloving--indeed showing a great lack of concern--on my part to disregard his plight.
We regularly receive emails from a man who has this quote at the bottom of every email: “‘If you judge people, you have no time to love them.’ -- Mother Teresa.” Every time I see that, I think, would you tell a physician, “If you examine me and run tests, you have no time to heal me”? Indeed, you can’t help another person (i.e. love them) without proper assessment (i.e. exercising judgment). In fact, discernment (requiring judgment) is a spiritual gift of the Holy Spirit, so it is clearly needed by the church and in the world; of course, it must be exercised in love, which will look more like “dressing the wounds” than “shooting the wounded.” The actions of the vast majority of Christians I know fall into the first category rather than the second; I would say that nonbelievers do much more harm to their fellow man than the Church is guilty of “friendly fire.”
We should be known for both holding ourselves and other Christians to a higher standard, but also known for dealing compassionately with those in sin, because even to our best ability, we are stuck right there in the mud with them. That's probably why Paul was so effective. He had such compassion because he knew the compassion given to him by Christ as "chief among sinners".
Yes, "there but for the grace of God go I."
Christian singer Zach Williams sings, "There's only love in the heart of God" which suggests that God only wants your comfort and pleasure, but if Scripture is right and "the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives" (Heb 12:6), then there is only love in the heart of God ... which includes discipline (training) and chastisement (correction) when necessary. Too many don't see "discipline" and "chastisement" as love. We, too, are to love like that.
I've never heard that song, or paid attention if I have. It seems like the phrase doesn't exclude any of the things you mentioned, as they all stem from His love. I'd have to hear the context of the song before drawing a conclusion.
No, I mention the song because of the ongoing problem of words. Today's "love" cannot include anything but "warm and fuzzy," and too many believers today read, "God is love" and think "warm and fuzzy." Just urging caution in thinking that "love" precludes "correction."
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