A Good Laugh.. And a Time To Think

OK, I am cruising the net this morning checking the news, sports and just seeing what else is happening, and I run across the above picture. It was one of those moments where I started to laugh, and then caught myself and the realization of this ironic picture hit me. Sadly, much too often, there is truth to what this sign says!
Man, this is almost too heavy for my muddled mind to think on this early in the morning. If you know me, you know I am not a morning person at all. I left it alone, went and got another cup of coffee and started getting ready to head out to the office. As I finished my coffee this image was still before me. I went in to shave and the thoughts were just controlling my mind and eventually I realized that this was one I could not just let go without at least bringing it here to the Dawg Howse. (Although I think this one will be in my discussions for a few days, so beware church!)

The first and most obvious thought I had was, "How many has the church killed along the way?" I'm not talking about the Crusades, but how many have come to the church looking for help and hope, only to be ripped apart and leave hurting worse than when they came?
How many have come trying to find meaning in life and what they found was pettiness and back-biting and division?
And how many came hoping to find a place to fit in, but left even more confused and alone because they could not measure up to the standards that would gain them access to the clique?
And how many have come and found a pastor that ministered to their hurts and they grow to love the man, and then have some do-gooder in the church shatter their image of the man they admire with some well-traveled piece of gossip; so once again, they leave... totally disillusioned with the church?
Man, we have done some weird stuff in "churches" and it is true, we have "killed" a lot of innocent people along the way.
Why is it that so many who sit in churches are at their best, not at fighting the enemy of our souls, not at going out and winning the lost, but no, they are at their best when it comes to ripping the guts right out of another sheep (or sheperd) and then stand around trying to look innocent as if to say, "who me?"

I think I need to end this one right here... for now.
We'll discuss this further in the next post.