Calvin University's official student newspaper since 1907

Calvin University Chimes

Since 1907
Calvin University's official student newspaper since 1907

Calvin University Chimes

Calvin University's official student newspaper since 1907

Calvin University Chimes

A letter to the Church

Dear Church,

In an effort to ease the discomfort that evil causes, the human experience is often forgotten. Whenever I go through a hard time in my life, you tell me, “Everything will be OK in the end,” and, “God will use this to help you grow.”

So why do I feel so discouraged and lost?

Am I not reading my Bible enough? Am I not praying hard enough? You say that I am young and unwise, that true faith means holding fast in the midst of a furious storm that will surely have an imminent end. But right now, I feel completely broken. I’m worn and tattered, tossed to and fro by raging winds. My soul is ravaged, and you tell me that this is all part of God’s plan. What comfort can this give me?

You told us you would understand us; yet, I do not feel understood. Racism, sexism, poverty, intolerance, sickness, death, abandonment, loneliness, rejection. Evil. It has many forms, yet one thing remains unchanging — it is real. Evil lives; evil breathes. Evil is powerful. We have felt its presence, and it has affected us. I understand that pain is often a result of personal sin. But many times, evil and injustice “just happen.”  So why do you refuse to acknowledge it for what it truly is? Evil must be lamented, not merely explained away. Evil is too big to cover up with your crudely stitched blanket of doctrines. It seeps through the cracks. Your Band-Aids are well-meaning, but they betray the severity of that which lies underneath. It is as if you value safety over honesty, security over truth.

I long for the day when unity becomes of greater importance than uniformity. Who speaks for those who feel greater solidarity amongst sinners than saints? Authenticity thrives in the company of the vulnerable.

This is for my brother who is depressed and struggling to find love in an unforgiving world. This is for my sister who got pregnant at 16 and consequently fell into a pit of loneliness after losing all of her friends. This is for my brother who experiences the degrading injustice of being continually questioned by the cops because of the color of his skin. This is for my sister who is addicted to pornography because nothing else offers her security. This is for my brother who was repeatedly sexually abused as a child and now struggles with self-esteem. This is for my sister who gets drunk all weekend so she can forget the pain of a broken relationship. This is for my brother who grew up on welfare in a divorced household, reminded every day that he will never amount to anything.

When will we be heard and accepted for who we truly are?

From a sinner

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