Gun Shot Wounds, Car Accidents and Zombieland

Trauma Center now open. Gun shot wounds, heart attacks, car accidents, swine flue, etc. - All of these can be found at your local trauma center. Hopefully, this can be said of your local church. Traveling extensively has given me a unique perspective. I have met people from all over the world. Each state, city and neighborhood come together providing culture and flavor. Visiting Los Angeles and driving through Compton, strolling into a deli close to Central Park in New York, catching a Cubs game in Chicago or watching a rodeo in Mesquite, TX. That’s Mesquite not Mosquito.

In all these places, I’ve noticed one thing exactly the same. They all have those blue road signs with a capital H. You know the one’s I’m talking about. The sign for a Hospital. Every city has at least one. Those blue H signs are everywhere. The signs serve as signals letting you know help isn't far away. What an amazing analogy for the Church!

Think about it. Is there a better trauma center than the Church? Of course not, Jesus established His Church to be a trauma center. A place for people to come for healing. We know the Church is made of local congregations serving God faithfully. Is your local church a trauma center for your city?

In the book of John chapter 11 the resurrection of Lazarus is recorded. After Jesus called Laz from the grave, he told the people standing around to loose him by taking his grave clothes off. Laz was bound, gagged and probably hopping around like an idiot trying to walk wrapped like a mummy. That had to be a funny sight! I bet he even fell down a time or two. Do you think Jesus could have called Laz from the grave without leaving the mummy wraps tied around his cold, dead body? Of course. Jesus was giving us a picture of the Church.

When someone comes from death to life, it is the responsibility of Christians to help them take off their grave clothes. People come to the Church with problems, insecurities, sins and all kinds of trauma. We are responsible for their growth. We loose the grave clothes! Sinful people are bloody, bruised, dirty, smelly, and bound. You know, kinda like they’ve been dead!

Be mindful this week that God may bring one of the walking wounded or the dead your direction. I know Zombieland is huge right now but don’t take the opportunity to blast them. Take the opportunity to be the doctor God gifted you to be and take them to your trauma center. After all, He is the great physician!