If you’re looking for a model of what the church is supposed to look like – look no further than a local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting. Alcoholism runs rampant in my family (I’m lucky to not have the disease), but some very close people in my life do.
I spent some time this week talking with those that battle the bottle. Listening to my friends describe the comradery and transparency at AA made me almost jealous! The stories went like this…
“When you walk into AA for the first time, it’s usually because you have just hit rock bottom. You’re so overridden with shame and embarrassment and you feel completely alone. And so, when the opportunity at AA arises to share your story, it is warmly received by a bunch of people who have done the same…if not worse. There’s community and comradery in sharing the low points!”
A good friend told me recently that when we share our successes, it creates competition. But when we share our failures and brokenness, it creates compassion and community.
Isn’t that what the church is supposed to look like? It should look more like an AA meeting and less like a country club.
I do know that the church is full of broken people trying to praise an omnipotent and perfect God. That’s a mess in and of itself. But sometimes…in some churches…the environment is created that doesn’t allow for immediate transparency. It takes weeks/months/years to break through and to find the right ‘pockets’ to let your guard down.
Something about AA is different. People walk in – and to join the club, you have to proclaim that you’re a hot mess. Maybe church should take a few lessons from the meetings often held inside of their buildings!
Truth be told is that the only thing that lets light through is something that’s broken. Far too often the Christians of the world (myself included) try and act like they have no cracks or breaks – and that they’ve got it all together. But there is such freedom in transparency!
Today I pray that the community you’re a part of (whether it be at work, school, or church) learns about your brokenness. Trying to keep it all together is NOT what we’re supposed to do. Instead – allow yourself to be vulnerable. Share the hurts, insecurities and disappointments of your life. I promise you that you’ll find more love and compassion than ever before.
When you’re honest about how you don’t have your crap together and that life isn’t easy – you’ll be surrounded by a band of misfits. And there’s safety in community. And community is what the church is meant to be.
Erik Hatch was a former Youth Director from First Lutheran Church, Fargo, N.D.
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