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Two posts ago, we met Dallas, a young man heavily burdened with a “box of secrets”.
Dallas comes to
church with this box, unsure what to do with it, feeling very out of place
because of it, and reluctant to let anyone see what is inside. Andy was no
help. Like many church-goers, he was too busy with his own program to get
involved in the messiness of someone else’s life.
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In the
last post, we saw how Jesus responded to a woman whose “box of secrets” had
finally spilled open for everyone to see. Jesus gave this response. “Neither do
I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.” The woman left that place
forgiven, freed, and with hope that a new life was possible.
Today,
we will return to Dallas
standing there in the church hallway with his box of secrets. Will he find the
help he so desperately needs?
******************
Meanwhile Back at the Church...
With a
deep breath, Dallas
shifted the weight of his box and trudged on down the hallway. Just then, Chris
approached from the opposite direction. His shiny black shoes and expensive
suit proclaimed him as a successful businessman.
Chris
frowned critically as he approached Dallas.
“What in the world are you doing?” Chris asked, motioning toward the box.
“What
does it look like I'm doing?” Dallas
retorted sarcastically.
“Don't
get mad at me! You're the one who is making life difficult for yourself,” Chris
shot back with a small smirk.
“I
know. I know.,” Dallas admitted with a sigh. “But I've been
carrying this box around for so long that I've almost forgotten what it is like
to live without it.”
“What's
in the box anyway?” Chris asked curiously.
After
a long silence Dallas
finally answered. “It's something I've never shown anyone before, but I can't
keep going on like this.” He hesitated a moment longer. “If I let you see
what's in the box, Chris,…maybe you can help me figure out what to do with it.”
“OK,
why not. Let’s see what you’ve got,” Chris agreed.
Dallas set his burden on a nearby window ledge and hesitantly
opened up the box. “Here. I'll show it to
you.”
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The
businessman looked into the box and gasped. “Dallas, I never imagined you would do
something like this! I thought you were
a Christian…or at least pretty good guy. I know I’ve seen you around church
every once in a while. You shouldn't be like that! Remember what the Bible says. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation. The old has gone. The new has come." You've just got to stop this, man! That's all
there is to it. You should be past all that by now. Stop living in the past and
get on with life!”
Chris
made a hasty retreat from Dallas
and his box of secrets. Dallas
closed up his box, and silently picked up his burden once more.
*****
The Judge Condemns
In this story, Chris
represents one possible response that can be encountered in the church when
people take the risk to let someone see their “boxes of secrets”. I have to
give Chris credit for at least trying to offer help. But his reaction to
whatever ugliness was in Dallas’s
“box of secrets” so shocked him that he failed to respond as Jesus did to the
woman caught in adultery.
Chris got the second part
right. He was really strong on “Go and
leave your life of sin.” That is, indeed an important message for Dallas to hear. But he
completely missed “Neither do I condemn
you.”
*****
Time For Reflection
What do you think about
Chris’s response?
- How does Chris’s response compare to Jesus’s response?
- Was Chris helpful at all to Dallas?
- How does Chris's response compare with the way you would respond when faced with someone else’s “box of secrets”?
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:11b)
*****
In our next post, Dallas will meet Celine,
a lady from the church. Will she respond differently than Chris did? Will she
respond like Jesus? How will her response compare with yours?
What do you think about Chris’s response?
ReplyDeleteHow does Chris’s response compare to Jesus’s response?
Was Chris helpful at all to Dallas?
How does Chris's response compare with the way you would respond when faced with someone else’s “box of secrets”?
I want to try to answer it
1. I think he shouldn't response to him like that cause that would make Dollas feel ashamed and get burden more of it.
2. Chris judges him more but Jesus wants him to come and confess then forget it and not to do the same.
3. I think no, Chris judges him and says everything that he supposes not to say.
4. as a human, we normally act like Chris. but when I have been a real christian and have been mature in Him, will act different. I know it's hard to do but would try to do the right one. would love to help someone who is in box of secret.
i am sorry if i get mistake to response in this sharing.
Thank you ka Julie for sharing this and it reminds me about the Drama as we acted 4 years ago. :D would love to see the next story.
Thanks so much for your reply Hana. Yes, this is the same story we did 4 years ago, just told in a different way. I really hope that we can all get better in our responses. I hope this series can help us think and grow.
DeleteThis is also a powerful reminder that we have to be careful who we share our secrets with. Even well meaning christians can sometimes be the wrong people to trust and placing your trust in the the wrong person can bring unnecessary pain.
ReplyDeleteThe "let he who is without sin" story (how I think of it) is one of my favorite stories and a valuable lesson in true forgiveness and grace. I look forward to your next installment,
You are so right, Tamara. It will always be important to choose carefully who we trust with our secrets. But I believe that people in the church can...and should move toward becoming more "safe". I hope that perhaps this series might help us examine our hearts, attitudes and reactions and move in that direction.
ReplyDeleteAs a "Chris" I'm ashamed of the actions of my fellow namesake. I know some guys with some serious box issues...stuff that even the criminal courts can't forgive, and yet, because of the grace of a few Christians (and of course, God), they were able to move on to amazing Christ-centered lives.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I'm learning to never judge. Redirecting, or helping keep a friend on the straight and narrow has only ever done more harm than good for me. Love works, God will judge.
Oops! Regarding the name, I didn't even think of connection. Chris was the name we used when we did this story as a drama a number of years ago. I just kept the same name. (No reflection on you, of course.)
DeleteIt is true that God's grace is powerful enough to not only "keep someone on the straight and narrow", but to totally make all things new. A reaction like Chris (in this story) really doesn't point anyone toward grace.
Thanks for your comment.