What does SAFE mean?

When people talk about a safe place to… what do they mean by that? Is it this is a safe place to hide from the evils of the world or a safe place to come hang out and be comfortable with some other people who are just as scared as you are, a place where you can avoid dealing with the issues in your life that are causing you to decay from the inside out? Where did this idea of church being a safe place come from?

When Jesus was with his group of followers I wonder if he told them, Now I want you guys to know that while you are with me you are in a safe place, a place free from trouble, free from pain, free from struggle and strife, a place of comfort and relaxing. Scanning the surface of the gospels I don’t see this kind of promise. In fact what I do see is the Great Teacher of LIFE bringing his followers into the most difficult and awkward environments so that they might realize their need of Him. He was always asking questions that made them think about their “inner stuff.” These questions weren’t aimed at trying to make people feel ashamed of their deficiencies, but rather to “go there” and face them head on trusting that in His presence mending the brokenhearted and setting the captives free was his deepest desire.

In light of this observation of Jesus’ life teachings, it could be safe to say that his idea of SAFE had a completely different flavor. A flavor that may be bitter at first but the result was sweet, sweet like grandma’s butter biscuit covered in home-style syrup. As a close friend of mine said recently let’s stop pushing the candy coated gospel according to snickers because it just isn’t so…