I don't like the modern day church's small group concept. I'm not talking about a small group of random people chatting it up about whatever.
I'm talking about these little criteria-based groups that the churches have decided to set up. Jesus NEVER talked about separating out into groups where you would have to meet certain criteria to attend. He DID talk about coming together, reasoning together. He DID talk about the older folks teaching the younger folks. He DID talk about UNCONDITIONAL love and acceptance. The churches have set up these structured, criteria-based groups that are supposed to be so great, and in the meantime, people are dying on the sidelines because they don't fit in!!
For example, just to keep it neutral, I'll use something silly....
Let's pretend there's a church that has a group for people with blue hair, a group for people with yellow hair, a group for people with green hair, a group for people with purple hair and a group for people with brown hair.
One day, Joe shows up at the church because he's going through a very difficult time, and is looking for answers... or support... or whatever.
But wait.... Joe has black hair..... what group does he join? Where does he find friends, love and acceptance? Because Joe doesn't meet the criteria for the other groups, he either has to separate off and form his own group for people with BLACK hair, or he gets left out. He can't just go to the purple hair group, because, well, that's for people with PURPLE hair.... and they want to talk about their purple hair, and what it's like to live with purple hair and have children with purple hair.
According to the small group segregation, because Joe doesn't have purple hair, not only does he NOT fit in, but apparently he has nothing in common with purple-haired people, and well, I guess that means he also has no valid input for people with purple hair. He cannot join their group.... he doesn't belong. And he certainly can't join the blue, yellow, green or brown hair groups either.
Sooooo..... Joe dies a little inside, because he just wants to be loved and accepted, but instead, he's been rejected. The place Joe is supposed to be able to run to and find unconditional love and acceptance is the very place he ends up running FROM because they've hurt him so bad.
WHERE IS JESUS IN THAT?
Jesus ate with everybody. He talked with everybody. He met with everybody. He didn't even allow his own disciples to keep small children away while he was teaching. He rebuked them for excluding the children.... let them come to me!.... What would he have to say about this criteria-based concept? I have to wonder if he would rant through our "temples" and overturn all the tables. I wonder how badly it breaks His heart to see how many people have walked in the doors of the church looking for hope, and walked out the same doors in complete hopelessness.
I know countless.... COUNTLESS "Joes" who cry themselves to sleep at night because they've been hurt so bad by this concept. I also know countless "Joes" who want nothing to do with organized religion (a.k.a., the modern-day church) AT ALL. They are the ones who see the hypocrisy of it all..... they are the ones who see that the Church's representation of Christ's TRUE unconditional love is nothing more than religious lip service.
People are hurting. People want to just be who they are, and not have to be separated out. We should care about THAT.
