The “Broken” Church

My son, who is four years old, has an affinity at trying to figure out how things work.  That said, I come home many a night to have to reassemble things he’s taken apart.  He does come about it honestly, though, as I too had the same inquisitive nature when I was growing up.  Recently I’ve started getting him into proper LEGOs (graduating from Mega Blocks and Duplo).  He exhibits more imaginative play with these and has started “modifying” the cars and trucks that I build for him.  Even more recently, I’ve started having him build the vehicles following the instructions.  Given that the other thing he really likes to do is make puzzles, this seemed to be a good fit.  I have noticed that when I present the pieces before him, he always says, “Oh no! Dad, it’s broken, it’s broken…”  Any adult would say that it’s not broken, rather that it just needs to be put together.  All it takes is matching the right pieces together such that they form a car/truck/building that looks like the picture the instruction manual portrays.

First, let me define the Church as followers of Jesus Christ, not a certain denomination or congregation.  The world sees today’s Church as being broken.  It’s too divided in its views, doctrine and what they truly believe in.  When you see people leaving churches because of differing views/opinions/perceptions as to how a congregation worships, the style of a pastor’s delivery of a sermon, even because they disagree with the way the church leadership dresses!  It’s sad to see this division, but it’s there and it’s happening. 

I do not think that the Church is broken (but if we continue on our current track it will be).  I think of it as my son’s LEGO toys – waiting to be put together.  The Church comprises the pieces, the Bible is our instruction manual, and God is the Creator trying to assemble the pieces.  Like my son, god is having a hard time putting the pieces together to make up the finished work, the bride of Christ.  The difference is that, unlike my son who lacks the intricate aptitude to connect the pieces on the pages of the manual (you know, the ones that hide behind other pieces), God is fighting to connect the pieces together because they are resisting to be one body, one being, to come together under one banner – His son.

There are those that speak against the Church, calling it organized religion that is ineffective and routine at best.  These people may think that they are helping to unify the pieces, but what they are actually doing is further dividing the Church and demonstrating to the world that we are NOT together in one accord, are weak and easy to break. 

We need to come together as one, as the enemy is and continues to do so. Let us be the complete bride of Christ, one body, one mind, one spirit.

When I finish helping my son reassemble his LEGOs, he exclaims, “It’s fixed!  It’s fixed! Thank you dad, you’re welcome dad.”  Let us be thankful to our Father, but also do our part to let his kingdom come.  The only thing that stands between God and His plan for our lives and the Church is us.