hope

I talked to a man today named Tim. He said he has no hope for this life and has no faith in the church because when it comes to church it's always about the bottom line. He wanted to re-enroll his son at the daycare but his previous debt to the daycare was equal to the amount of money in his checking account. He was a beaten man. He thinks the life he has lived and the words he has said have finally caught up with him and that God has finally caught up with him, and God is angry. The pastor at the church started throwing scripture at him like it was going to help, he told Tim that the scriptures tell us that we reap what we sow. Maybe that verse exists but the majority of the witness of the community of faith tells us otherwise. Tim told us that he is working as a janitor at a hotel and his wife doesn't work so it is unlikely that they can afford the tuition. He said that his wife hasn't worked for two years and his friends tell him to divorce her becuase she is doesn't do anything for him. Tim said he would never do that to her and he is dedicated to working through this tough time in his marriage. I was confronted with broken man, Tim doesn't even know if he will still have his house tomorrow. I don't feel bad that it is unlikely that he will not be able to send his son to the daycare. I feel confused and frustrated that I just sat there and didn't say that hope, freedom, forgiveness and wholeness are not withheld because of the words you use or what you've done. I just sat there thinking that I couldn't say what I wanted to say becuse the pastor would be very unhappy. Fear.