Its all too often lately... you sit down to watch some evening news and there is yet another "...and Arizona's Child Protective Services screws up again!" type of broadcast. From thousands of uninvestigated cases, to case workers buying drugs from families on their case loads, from mishandling of confidential information to kids falling through the cracks. They screw up what they are expected to do and we all get to hear about it. But, here's the thing....
The state and its workers are beyond overwhelmed with the number of broken families, abused and neglected children and even parents trying to do what it takes to get their kids back. Their case loads have increased immensely as society becomes more and more broken. Where are WE in all this? We call us ourselves "the church" and we we label ourselves "Christians" yet we sit back while the state, without God, tries to put band aids on situations that we are called to, with God, pour into and transform! Can you imagine if the church as a whole was on the news for "not doing their job" like CPS has been lately? Yeah, pretty sure there would not be enough air time to even begin to cover that. Children are hungry, neglected, abused, and praying for just one more hug from mommy. Woman hurting, losing their children, abused by men, and at the bottom just trying to survive. Men homeless, feeling like they just cant hold on anymore and just wanting to see their kids. Families broken, split up and crying for just a little glimpse of hope. While we sit, in comfort, in our daily routines, keeping to ourselves the very love, hope and answer that they need. The very God that laid down his life for us so that we could, in turn, lay down ours for them. Yeah, the state workers are overwhelmed, screwing up and getting a bad rap for it....
But at least they are trying.
Church--- where are we????
