All wrapped up in my own little world then POW!!!! Your scare me sh*^%$#less he said.

I apologise for the cheap slang, but then again maybe I shouldn’t : It was frankly refreshing some honest feed back.

Us Christians get so caught up in our own little world. I remember at training college our training Officer now Retired LT Colonel Peter Savage (best training Officer ever) pounded into our thick little heads, “cut the religious jargon say it so the average man in the street knows what your message is”.

Well I’ve become so aware of how I haven’t yet learnt the lesson.  I’m chatting to a good friend, an Ex-Sallie who was an influential leader in his own right, worked closely with me, he turns up in 2009 at my Corps makes a decision at the mercy seat and promptly leaves without a bye or leave.

Yay for FB: Next thing we connect on face book. I put up some status that is so religious with the word UNCTION in it. So I get this message from my friend. Quote excuse the language but in this context it’s right “Sheee Craig when you said that word you scared me shitless”.    I deserved it. Sometimes our jargon only alienates and divides. In our enthusiasm, instead of Building bridges we tear them down, even burn some bridges to people at times, even our own.

So we got talking:  “It’s like a language within a language” he said.  So I asked him how can I do this better. What he said next captured my imagination and my heart for people.

“You know Craig I’ve been away from Church for 10 years and no one has attempted to contact me”. I said “that’s really sad”.  He said, “Less churchy-ness and more caring would go along way, just take the time to care.”

He went on and pointed out ..  “A good salesman will visit lapsed clients in order to build a bridge to them, yet in the Church we fail to do that”.  Then I remembered Peter Savage drilling us with Order &Regulations for Officers it went something like this;  “On arrival at your appointment an Officer will make every effort to contact lapsed Salvationist seeking to build bridges and engage them in the war” words to that effect.

Thank you my friend, for helping me to understand again that building bridges to those we have hurt, or to those who have hurt us, is the Spirit of true Salvationism.

I’m sorry I scarred you Sh*^%$less I’ll do better next time.