by Reba Collins
This past weekend I was visiting the zoo with my son’s Cub
Scout troop, and I spotted this sign. My first reaction was “Eeewww!” Then, I
thought, naked mole-rats aren’t the only species that behave this way. Some churches do,
too!
Luckily, you can spot a naked mole-rat church before you
burrow too deeply with them. These are the churches where everyone believes a
certain way, acts a certain way, dresses a certain way, worships a certain way,
and avoids anyone who isn’t one of them.
If you happen to encounter this church type by accident,
turn around and leave the group immediately before you are rejected. Don’t
worry about hurting their feelings. They don’t care. If you are not part of
their colony, then you are not wanted.
Some mole-rat churches, though, are not easily recognized.
You have to dig a little deeper with them before you can smell the rats or
discover the moles. And it may not be the whole church. There may be just a few
groups or individuals who have created their own burrows. But they are dug in
deep. Like the naked mole-rat, they are: “well-adapted to their underground
existence … eyes are quite small, and their visual acuity is poor ... highly
adept at moving underground … can move backward as fast as they can move forward.”
Mole-rat people and groups eventually will surface. You’ll
be able to spot them because they are territorial, political, and destructive.
They reject anyone they perceive to not be from their colony – including the
pastors! And they usually stink up the place!
Because most churches have naked mole-rate burrows, you need
to ask yourself: “Are one or two stinky encounters enough to keep me away?” Take
your time in answering this question. Your decision will depend largely on discovering
how representative those few are of the entire church community.
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