I have been to a few churches and I have listened to sermons from various pastors. One thing that I have noticed is that they are human, just like us. And we are reminded of this fact if we LISTEN closely.
I am all for a good joke, but who determines if a joke is funny? In any social setting, it can become very uncomfortable when a joke is made at someone else's expense. Most people would take offense along with the subject of the punch line. This can happen while hanging out with friends or perhaps at work. But what do we do if or when you become someone's punch line at church?
I have mentioned before about the lack of confidentiality and privacy in our society today. As a Christian woman, I expected to find solitude at a church in knowing that what I say to these people in confidence would remain confidential.
I had one incident where a pastor stood up in church one Sunday morning and said that " Latoya left her job at the hospital to do dishes at home". Now mind you, this was in the middle of my darkest and most depressed days. That was a very sensitive time for me and I had confided in that woman about what was hurting me and she violated my trust. That left a deep scar for a long time, but I eventually forgave her.
The reason I mention this is because sometimes as Christians we feel so alone in our hurt. We can't tell non-Christians because of the misconception that our lives are perfect. We can't tell Christians because they'll assume you are sinning or some ridiculous nonsense.
I have seen first-hand people being insulted or having their personal business told from the pulpit by a pastor they trusted. Yes, we can tell a story to inspire someone else once the issue was resolved. But it is a basic human principle to get that person's permission before divulging their information.
That brings me to the jokes. As I've said I'm all for a good clean joke. But it's not funny when a pastor, leader or elder stands on a pulpit and make fat jokes about one man. It's not funny making jokes about the type of car a person drives or where they live.
Why would anyone, let alone a preacher think that is funny or okay to do? What purpose does this serve? When we embarrass others for a laugh, all we do is enjoy a moment of false superiority while making ourselves look really bad in the eyes of others.
Not to mention the erosion we are causing to that person's ego and self-esteem. We all hurt and the world is already such a cruel and ugly place. We should feel safe physically, spiritually and mentally at church. Then we wonder why people backslide.
I think many of our pastors and leaders need to self-evaluate. Check the manner in which you respond to us. Would you like someone talking to you that way? Remember, no one is a light unto himself, not even the sun.
Stay humble and keep it about God. We're trying to save souls not run people out of a church.
I pray that we as Christians will wake up and help our ministers when we see or hear them say something offensive to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
May God bless you and thank you so much for reading. Feel free to check out more of my experiences in my E-books. Like, share and Comment.
Until next time
BE KIND.
Latoya.
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