Dingo Vs. Shepherd

Did the dingo eat your baby?  Now that that is out of the way, I can proceed.

Australian Shepherds and Heelers were bred from Dingos.  These breeds of dog are some of the most obedient, loyal, and affectionate I have ever seen.  Yet the Dingo is a ferocious wild dog.  If one of the pack gets injured in any way the others will turn on it, rip it to pieces and devour it.

So what is my point?  As Christians, we are called to love and support one another.  To help each other through hard times and to be happy for each other through the good times.  This is what our Lord and Savior taught us.  It is what He expects of us.  Yet, too many times have I seen the Dingo in brothers and sisters in the church.  Gossip, factions, unforgiveness turns us into packs of Dingos.  I have seen Christians ripping into and devouring other Christians when they are hurt or wounded.  Whether or not it is their fault, after running to the one place they should have been safe, they ended up worse. I have been gnawed on pretty deeply myself in the past.  (This is not a criticism of my current church home.  I have not seen it there. If it has been, our pastors were faithful,  gentle, and loving enough that they handled it without my knowing.)

So what does this all mean?  Why am I bringing this up?  Am I against church discipline?  Absolutely not!  As long as it is done in a biblical and loving manner.  The Bible is so specific on how we are to treat one another. Are we all perfect?  No.  Do all of us, those brand new as well as those of us who have been walking with God for a while, make mistakes, even sin?  Yes! But it is how we respond to these mistakes and sins that set us apart from the world.  The world claims vengeance and justice for all wrongs and perceived wrongs.  God is a just God , a perfect God, but is a merciful God.  He prefers that we be merciful and leave the justice to Him.  So why don't we? Well, we are not perfect.  Does that excuse the Dingo in us?  No!  How would it be to someone who is wounded and searching for God to see this in the church?  Don't think for a second that they do not.  There is some bad recorded history, both old and current, of Dingoesque behaviour.

I just want my brothers and sisters, no matter what local church they attend, when encountering a wounded family member, regardless of cause, to ask themselves, am I a shepherd? Am I healer (pun intended)? Or am I a Dingo waiting to cannibalize my brother or sister?

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