Message to Pastors

One morning, I was helping in the religious store, placing new items on the shelf, when a woman walked in, her face covered with a veil and you could see she cried. We all could see that she was in great distress. She visited us before, and that she likes to browse around by herself and left alone. Recently she gave her life to Christ and became a Christian, no matter what the consequences for her would be. This time her behavior was different. She walked right-up to the counter were we were standing, and said,” I need help”. She did not want to explain to all of us what the problem was, but agreed to talk with a female store employee. After 5 minutes, the store employee came back, and told us, “This is real important and urgent”, and she likes to talk to an ordained pastor only. She needs help NOW.

Immediately I started to make some phone calls, in the hope to find a pastor who could help her.

 The First Pastor: On vacation and told me to look for someone else.

The Second Pastor: Just having a late breakfast at McDonald, and would let me know tomorrow when his schedule was open to receive her.

The Third Pastor: Was just running out to go to a meeting, but would consider a phone consultation.

The Fourth Pastor: Was at his second job, and could not leave.

 I was not able to find a pastor who was available to help this young woman, and so she left.

The next day her friend walked in the store with eyes full of tears, and told us that last night her friend died by hanging. The police called it suicide. Her friend told us, that she explicitly related to her two day’s before, that she would never commit suicide because she is now a Christian, no matter how difficult the circumstances would become.

What happened here is a great tragedy, but an additional tragedy is;

 “Not one pastor asked me what the young woman’s problem was, or how severe”. Instead, they all placed more importance on their own circumstance and/or agenda.

It reminds me about a parable that Jesus told an expert in the Law of Moses:

 Luke: 10:25. (The Good Samaritan).

My confession:

1)  That this woman is indeed in need of “extreme intervention” is true.

2)  We are blessed that she did not die, and is alive because of intervention.

3)   I found one pastor who was on vacation. This pastor was the only one who asked me first what the urgent situation for this young woman was, instead of mentioning her busy vacation schedule. After I told her, she took immediate action, made phone calls, and assisted in an urgent protection plan from her vacation destination.

That this urgent situation got resolved does not excuse the responds from the other pastors, who did not even inquire about the severity of this young woman’s situation. I hope that we take this event to heart, and next time place more importance on a child of God needs, than our personal agenda. That would be walking in the footsteps of Jesus. That is what you teach every sermon. I hope this half-true half parable is a wake-up call for all of us.