This week a new thought has been rolling around in my mind. I think it applies to the Church, parenting, and society at large.
I went out to the packing room last week wanting to help move merchandise. I went to move something from a higher shelf and was scolded by my employee for being on the ladder. I apologized for scaring her and have not gone out to help much since while the employee is working. Instead I go out when she has left for the day and do the same climbing on the ladders, only now without anyone even aware of where I am. If anything, I am less afe but I have far less hassle in doing what I am going to do anyway.
If I believed I were unsafe or jeopardizing somebody, I would not do the reorganizing. But I am doing work that I am capable of and enjoy doing.
I wonder how often we manipulate a person’s outward behaviour with our scorn in the church, but we have not changed what they are doing. Instead of making them safer, we have just made it more secretive without a safety net.
I wonder how much more effective we would be if we did not overreact but were rational and logical. If we appealed to good sense instead of to just rules that make us feel less vulnerable.