Devotional Thought of the day: 

Now if your experience of Christ’s encouragement and love means anything to you, if you have known something of the fellowship of his Spirit, and all that it means in kindness and deep sympathy, do make my best hope for you come true! Live together in harmony, live together in love, as though you had only one mind and one spirit between you. Never act from motives of rivalry or personal vanity, but in humility think more of each other than you do of yourselves. None of you should think only of his own affairs, but should learn to see things from other people’s point of view.Philippians 2:1 (Phillips NT) 

Don’t shoot the wounded, they need us more than ever!  Sometimes we just condemn them, and don’t take time to heart their story.  Don’t shoot the wounded, some you might be one.  (Chuck Girard)

Four conversations I have been in recently were about the chruch mistreating people, or in one case, I watched it occur.  End result, people lost the chance to minister to people who are wounded, and needing comfort.  In at least two of the encounters, i am not sure the people are aware of their action, in one, the oppressor knew, but didn’t care?  In one case, a necessary action was taken, but the way it was taken, left the person feeling unloved, unwanted betrayed.   Even writing this is challenging, for those who shoot “the wounded” are often “wounded” themselves.  That means this has to be a call to healing, to reconciliation, not just to stop them from injuring others.

But how do we care, and make it known that they are cared for, when the situation is complicated, when action must be taken that will cause change?

How do we love the wounded, without shooting them. How do we minister to them, when the pain they are in makes it difficult?  When we too hurt, to notice their agony?  When we are too self-consumed, to realize their need for our peace?

How do we stop driving people away from the love of Christ?

St. Paul is clear in the passage above, we find this ability as we realize we are of one mind,,, soemthing that happens when we have fellowship, communion with the Holy Spirit. When we are focused on the love of God, and His presence, when we know His will>  When move past ourselves to embrace the God who has embraced us, and see the world as He does.. people needing life, reconciliation, healing, care, love.  That is part of the change that occurs, as we realize the change going on in us, because of that grace.   When we see each other, rather than competitors, but as one.

It isn’t easy, so cry our “Lord have mercy!” knowing that God will answer, for He never shoots His own… save the One wounded that we could be made whole.