Your Voice

What part will each of us play in the hurt in our world?

By Eric Black
Executive director, publisher and editor
Texas Baptist Standard

We don’t have to look far to see an immense amount of hurt in our world. That is made plain to us — to the point of being unavoidable — everywhere we turn. What may not be as apparent: Each of us will play a part in that hurt. What part will we play?

The hurt takes every form imaginable — physical, mental, financial, spiritual — and is coming from every direction possible — nature great and small, the economy, politics, violence, to name just a few.

This means healing and restoration takes every form imaginable in every place possible. What part will we play?

Natural disasters

During the recent Baptist General Convention of Texas executive board meeting, John Hall, director of communications for Texas Baptist Men, asked attendees to envision being on their roof, looking out over their community and not seeing a single undamaged roof. Inside the house stands two feet of water. There’s no electricity, no clean water and few other necessities.

This is the case for thousands throughout Louisiana following Hurricane Ida. The hurt associated with it is multiform — physical, mental, financial and spiritual — and calls for a full-bodied response.

Abortion

Abortion is a much edgier subject than disaster relief. We tend to line up on one side or the other of the edge and fight like hell, but do we ever live like heaven? Do we ever turn our swords into plowshares and make the Kingdom of heaven present for those overwhelmed with the kind of fear, shame or doubt that often accompanies unplanned or unwanted pregnancies?

Multiform hurt exists around the issue of abortion — physical, mental, financial and spiritual. Laws banning abortion don’t have the power to address all of that. But Christians do. What part will we play?

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy and other church leaders is a deep and multiform hurt. Its survivors among Baptists hope the church and its conventions will take up the role of healer and restorer, rather than enabler.

Here again, we would rather turn our attention to the hurt wrought by natural disasters, but the need for a different response to sexual abuse is acute and massive.

The Baptist General Convention of Texas executive board addressed one aspect of the hurt caused by sexual abuse by adopting a new policy that generally deems those churches allowing registered sex offenders to hold leadership in the congregation as outside friendly cooperation with the convention.

Global crises

The hurt doesn’t end with natural disasters, abortion and sexual abuse in the United States.

There also is the profound hurt of unrest in Haiti, military attacks in Myanmar (formerly Burma), a “man-made” famine in Tigray and crises in Venezuela, Cuba, Afghanistan, Lebanon and elsewhere. Oh, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic everywhere.

We will play a part in this hurt, too. What part will we play?

Healing and restoration don’t mean there isn’t more pain. Anyone who’s been through cancer treatment, surgery or physical therapy knows the cure often can hurt more than the malady. There is a difference between wounding and healing pain.

The pain associated with healing and restoration, however, ought to be upbuilding, not destructive and further traumatizing. How often have we justified destructive pain with the label “tough love?” Too often.

If only we always were on the side of healing and restoration, but we are not. All too often, we are on the side of sin and in need of repentance. Even the nicest among us are — directly or indirectly, knowingly or unknowingly. Yes, in this world, each of us will play a part in the hurt. What part will we play?

(This article originally appeared at baptiststandard.com and is edited for space.)

Letter to the editor

After I read your editorial from Sept. 23 about unfinished projects, I pulled some pending items to the top of my to-do list at work and knocked them out.

I’m also reminding myself to ask when surprise requests are needed, so I can complete what I was working on rather than immediately switching to that task.

I also decided to create a list for my apartment. I still had 4 boxes left to unpack, my closet hadn’t been organized and my bathroom cabinet still needed to be organized so I made a list to prioritize what needed to be done at home.

I still have just a few things left on that list, but it’s amazing how much relief you feel when you finally finish something that has been on your to-do list for a while. Sometimes you don’t realize how much stress you’re holding on to by not completing something until that stress is gone once it’s checked off.

It was really refreshing to reorganize my to-do list and pull those bottom items up to the top for a change.

Hannah Muñoz
Digital editor
The Alabama Baptist

Find the Opportunity

When we look at issues and situations as problems, our efforts and outlook are only focused on the negative. No matter how we try to explain away our attitudes and actions, dealing with problems always originate from the negative plane. You cannot put enough spin on your words or actions to remove them from the negative.

On the other hand, when you deal only in opportunities you always deal from the positive plane. Wherever there is an opportunity therein lies the prospect of betterment.

When we deal with opportunity, our thoughts are on improvement or becoming better. I believe it is nearly (if not always) impossible to view opportunity from a negative plane.

Opportunity imparts a positive point of view and positions you for a constructive approach to your situation or issue.

When we deal with opportunities, we always probe how we can improve our organization, ourselves and the productivity of our employees or volunteers.

Dealing with opportunities in this manner becomes a winning situation for everyone.

In life, you are given opportunities to help yourself and others. As long as you view people or situations as problems, you will never rise above a negative perspective on life. And you will never be all God created you to be.

Once you begin to view life as a series of opportunities, not only will your life improve, you will assist in the improvement of life for many.

Remember, there are no problems in life, only opportunities. Let’s improve something today!

George Yates
Church health strategist
Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions

Prayer gives us peace because it keeps us in communion with God.

Robert Olsen
Associate professor of Christian studies, University of Mobile

Parents and pastors have the same mission, though their starting points and contexts differ. The business of both is making disciples. And one of the best ways you can prepare to pastor and grow as a pastor is by pastoring your children.

Bobby Jamieson, Associate pastor
Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.

After a year and a half of planning, I am beyond thrilled to be here in Northern Ireland to deliver our first international ultrasound machine to the wonderful ministry of Hope House. These machines have proven to be life-saving tools for organizations dedicated to serving both vulnerable mothers and preborn children. My prayer is that many women would be helped and babies saved through the ministry of Hope House and that abortion would become unthinkable and unnecessary not only in Northern Ireland, but across the globe.

Elizabeth Graham
Vice president of operations and life initiatives
Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC

Comparing yourself to another pastor or leader fails to honor what God is doing in your life and in the life of the object of your comparison. When you look at other leaders and judge yourself as more or less valuable than they are, you are denying the planned design of the Creator who made you in a unique manner and for a noble purpose. You will not be judged by God as to whether you were like so-and-so, but instead by whether you were faithful with the gifts and assignments He entrusted to you.

Todd Gray
Executive director-treasurer
Kentucky Baptist Convention

In all my years I have never seen a time when pastors and laypersons are more discouraged than they are now. We can encourage each other.

Rick Lance
Executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, speaking at the annual meeting of the Alaska Baptist Resource Network

From the Twitterverse

@ronniep
We need a greater gospel urgency in our churches. Bigger & better is not our call, but reaching, discipling & multiplying is.

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

@DerwinLGray
Pastor, Do not work harder on your sermon than your marriage. Your marriage is your first and most important ministry.

@megannlively
Courage is not an act. It’s a habit. —@jdgreear

@nathanafinn
Some pastors are called Marxists by folks who have been discipled by right-wing political propaganda. Other pastors are called white supremacists by folks who have been discipled by left-wing academic trendiness. Pastors, you will be slandered by someone. Matthew 5:11–12

@JoWiKi
Preacher, write out and think through your transitions and your sermon will noticeably improve.

@CatherineRenfro
Pastor appreciation month! I’m incredibly grateful for my pastor and husband and for the thousands of pastors who continue to lead well, serve well, and give endlessly in an effort to point people to King Jesus! Thank you!

@brocraigc
Our @EtowahBaptist churches are making such a great effort to knock on doors in their communities. 11,000 and counting so far. Heard some wonderful reports this evening (Sept. 26). My heart is so happy and I’m incredibly grateful for our pastors and their leadership. #thisismyneighborhood

@micahfries
Don’t love people so that you can share about Jesus. Instead, love people and share about Jesus. People aren’t projects, and love is not a means to an end.

@deshaun9
show up. be real. love others. don’t quit. @olivebaptist @whosyour1_ #pensacola

@Chip_henderson
You will never accidentally drift into an intimate relationship with Jesus. Intimacy must be intentionally pursued.

@clearviewchurch
The enemy isn’t someone to fear. If Jesus is in our hearts, Satan has no real power.