Murder and Relationships?

Our town, here in Honduras, has been shaken by scandalous news.  An adolescent girl and her teenage boyfriend crafted a horrible plot to murder the girl’s mother. 

A few months earlier, in the mother’s wisdom, she had discovered that the relationship was harming her 15 year-old daughter’s character and had determined to end the budding relationship.  The story is now gaining international fame for the simple reason that the youngsters were committed to their plan and a few days ago left the girl’s mother in a pool of blood on her living room floor.  Unbelievable stories were concocted to cover up the truth, but like the character from Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, the guilt of homicide was overwhelming and the young girl confessed to her family and the authorities.

This story achieves relevance to the church discussion on a personal level.  We were part of the same local church body with this family for about 3 or 4 years.  The sweet little girl spent the night in my home!

How can a person attend regular church functions and listen to an infinite quantity of biblical teaching and make this catastrophic murderous decision?  I am concerned that no one will ask these questions and that church as a local group of believers will continue to play religion as usual while the society goes to hell in a hand basket around us.

Here is part of our dilemma.  We have bought into the modern notion that propositional truth will logically solve our problems. As a matter of fact, didn’t Jesus say that the “truth would set us free”?   Well, the detail that we somehow miss in that overused and misunderstood passage is that Jesus was actually talking about Himself.  Jesus is the “truth” and a relationship with Him will set us free from all that can bind and enslave us.

Although propositional truth is necessary and even formulas can prove to be helpful, the human dilemma longs for deep meaningful relationships.  You can attend endless meticulously planned church services and listen to a million homiletically correct sermons while emotionally and spiritually starving to death, longing for a friend. 

Why do we, the church of Jesus Christ, fill our lives with such elaborate religious activity and miss the fundamental needs of the people around us? 

What would happen if the church invested more time, energy and resources in the formation of quality relationships? Would we not find it more beneficial to be able to know our brothers and sisters well?  Could we not find sensitive and creative solutions to real life problems?  

I wonder if we would be able to apply the proverbial “10-step process to a prosperous life” while our neighbor literally cries on our shoulder.  We would probably find it more practical and helpful to simply cry as well, showing our love and compassion by sharing in the grief.

Perhaps that is what scares us.  As long as the Bible lesson is theoretical, we can claim understanding while falsely assuming spiritual growth and maturity.  Is it possible to really understanding a Biblical truth that we have never attempted to apply?  Are we lazy or do we secretly doubt that these truths will actually work when applied to today’s complexity?

You ever wonder what Jesus did with His disciples for three years? You might think that is an irrelevant question, but I am convinced that it is the secret to discipleship….