Brokenness

I spent a short time in the emergency room last night...long enough for me to wonder how many of our "emergencies" are a result of brokenness.  One 30something year old was in the ER with suicidal thoughts due to alcoholism.  Another man was there because he was found unresponsive and naked in his front yard, due again to alcohol abuse.  These two emergencies bummed me out.  My spirits were lifted when a young woman came in obviously in labor.  Her husband looked stressed as she barked out orders to him.  In between her breathing exercises and bouts of contractions she smiled at me.  I smiled back and asked if this was going to be her first.  She shook her head and held up four fingers.  Wow!  I thought she is way too young to have four children!  I went back to being bummed as I heard her tell the receptionist that she has not been receiving prenatal care and does not have a family doctor.

I sat back in my chair and wondered if the church might be a little like the ER.  Then I thought sadly the church is too much like the ER...people seeking a quick fix to their symptoms without the necessary healing of the ailment.  I imagined Jesus in the ER asking people "Do you want to get well" (John 5:6).  Then I imagined them beating around the bush with an answer that basically cried "just fix my current symptom and I'll be fine".

God wants us to be healed holistically from our brokeness...not to simply slap a few bandaids on when the pain becomes unbearable.  God wants us to have peace, yet there is so much brokenness.  How do we become healed?  The answer isn't through alcohol, the answer isn't through pain pills, the answer isn't through a lust filled relationship, the answer isn't through buying more.  The answer is through Jesus...do you want to get well?