One of the common excuses I hear for people not going to church is that I’ve been hurt by the church. I hear this way too often. Yes, unfortunately people get hurt by the church, but let’s unpack this a little bit more… Its unfortunate that so many people let this slide with zero probing or pushback. The first thing we should do is show compassion if it is truly a situation where under the name of Christ someone was deeply hurt. It is true that the church kicks the wounded, eats its own, and does other horrible things sometimes under the name of Christ. I’ve seen what can happen, but that is the exception, not the rule. However, we must not approach this with fear, but with a desire for understanding. Let us examine the particular situation, work toward building a relationship, work toward healing, if need be. Lets use our hearts and minds to lead people toward Christ, not away from Him. Let us not be afraid of what we may find, and let God’s words of healing supersede our own.