The Walling in of a Reprobate

Once upon a time there was a church of good people. They were true Christians and wanted nothing more than to live their lives for the Lord. They had a nice church and everything was pretty grand until one day when a little girl came home from school and said a cuss word. The parents were aghast! They knew the school was a bad influence, but this! Every day they watched her and could see more and more negative effects. This happened with other kids from the church too and soon, the parents had a meeting. "The world is out to shape our kids into it's mold!" they cried! They spoke with the pastor who agreed it was time for a church school.

The church school started and soon, school uniforms were implemented. The sermons in the church started to be about separation more often and how we should be separate from the world. Soon, the pastor was preaching that if the kids had uniforms, so should the adults. They meticulously wrote up a list of things the parents should be doing. They also realized that since they were to be separate, they should also get rid of their TV's and computers. They didn't want any outside influence. Soon, they sold their cars and moved closer to the church so they could walk or ride their bikes there.

They were very separate and they were very happy. Their children did not cuss. They behaved very well. They were proper children. Sometimes, a visitor came to church and you could see that they were not separate. Not only did they not dress right, but also their children were unruly.

The years passed and children from the church married other children from the church and all was well.

Until one day when the church noticed some money missing. They also noticed other strange things going on. There had been rumors about one of the elders. He had been seen with one of the young ladies, it had been said, but of course, that was just a rumor. And this was an elder after all. He had been faithful all these many years. He always kept separate. He never even tried to have a TV when a couple of young folks rebelled and got them years ago. He came down hard and wanted them excommunicated. No, he was not soft on sin. He was not a compromiser.

Time passed and things were swept under the rug. Yes, if someone sinned openly, they were reprimanded, but that didn't happen often.

More and more rumors about the elder were flying. There was hard preaching about gossip and the spreading of rumors and how it hurt God's Kingdom. "God's people should not be gossips and rumormongers!" they preached. Soon, the rumors were silenced and anyone who mentioned anything about the elder or anything else was shunned as proud and a rumormonger. No one dared speak anything negative, especially about the elders.

A rumor later came from the community. It was the same type of rumors as before. The preaching now came, "The outsiders will persecute and falsely accuse the True Church of the Living God!" "We are THE CHURCH!" The separation lines became even stronger. The church was being persecuted.

One day, a little girl about the age of four, spoke openly in the foyer. "That's the man that likes to pretend that girls are kitties and he pets them." There was a hush in the church... The father decided then and there that he was leaving the church and taking his family with him.

The next Sunday, the preaching went forth. "Liars and deceivers and those who cannot keep themselves separate from the world leave the True Church of the Living God." And the church said "Amen". And the walls meant to separate became walls that walled in. Walls that bound people to a system. Walls that walled in a reprobate.

This writing is the copyright of Lynne Johnson-Yohnk and was posted with her permission. Additional articles may be viewed here. Her email address is lyohnk@hotmail.com if you wish to write.

Page added February 23, 2006

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