The man went to church one Sunday, ready to give his offering. As he reached into his pocket to bring out his wallet, a few condoms slipped out and fell to the floor. In an instant, the atmosphere changed.
Whispers filled the sanctuary. Eyes narrowed. Faces tightened with judgment. Instead of compassion, the man met ridicule and disdain. The church, meant to be a place of refuge, became a courtroom. Overwhelmed with shame, he quietly walked out.
Still shaken, he wandered into a nearby bar, hoping to drown his embarrassment. As he sat there drinking, his glass slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor. The bar owner rushed over immediately. Others followed. They asked if he was okay and showed concern. He was assisted there and then.
In that moment, the man experienced more love in the bar than he had in the church. He never returned to that church again. But he returned to the bar, again and again.
When Judgment Pushes People Away
Sadly, many of us behave like the people in that church. We judge quickly and condemn easily, forgetting that Jesus Himself said, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Former Ghanaian international footballer Kevin-Prince Boateng, in “The Illusion Of The Perfect Life,” discussed his personal encounter with Christ. He explained that because his body is covered with tattoos, from his neck to his hands, he felt the need to wear a turtleneck to church so he would not be judged.
Think about that. A man seeking God felt compelled to hide, not because of God, but because of God’s people.
No One Is Holy on Their Own
Scripture reminds us that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. It even says that the righteous fall many times a day and that our righteousness is like filthy rags before Him.
So why do we act like Pharisees and Sadducees, obsessed with removing the speck from another person’s eye while ignoring the log in our own?
Sin wears different faces. Some sins are visible. Others hide behind clean clothes and loud prayers. But they are still sins.
The Door Should Be Open to All
God calls everyone to Himself. “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” That invitation was not issued to perfect people; it was spoken to broken ones.
It is not our place to judge. It is not our job to block the path to God for those who sin differently from us. God is the Father of all, and He does not discriminate among His children.
After His resurrection, the first person Jesus revealed Himself to was a woman society had rejected. He ate with tax collectors and sinners. He made it clear: the sick are the ones who need a doctor.
A Final Reflection
The church does not exist as a museum for saints; it exists as a hospital for sinners. When judgment replaces love, people stop coming, not because they hate God, but because they fear God’s people.
If we truly follow Christ, our first response should always be mercy, not mockery; compassion, not condemnation, because grace is what brought us in and grace is what will keep the door open for others.
