Scared for Our Lives

Wife and I have been asked several times by friends and family since we arrived, “Doesn’t NYC scare you? The crime? The muggings? The crowds? Doesn’t any of that bother you?” Our response has always been simply: no, we feel safer and more comfortable here than we have felt anywhere else we have lived. Honestly, that is how we feel.

Today, for the first time, Wife turned to me and announced, “I’m scared.” The funniest part about that: we were at church when she made this proclamation. During our time here, we have visited several churches, most of them have been rather small. Today, for the first time, we went to one of NYC’s famous “mega-churches.” While we were not exactly sure what to expect, well….let’s just say we won’t go back.

Today’s church meets at an old theater down near Broadway. Each Sunday, thousands of people push and shove their way in to get the “prominent seats” (seriously, that is what the usher called the better seats). We were in fear for our safety after we got into the building with thousands of people pushing and shoving trying to get in front of us for a good seat in church. At the scheduled time, the curtain rose and the performance began (and it was a pretty good show). Soon after the service began, the “holy rolling” began. The people around us (who just a few minutes earlier put our lives in danger as they tried [and many succeeded] in shoving us out of their way), began to raise their arms, dance, shout, scream, and speak in tongues. As soon as the service was over, those same people, whom we just watched engage in their “Spirit-filled” encounter, again shoved and trampled us to get out of the building as quickly as possible (one aggressive fellow nearly shoved Wife down a flight of stairs). Odd that these people exhibit the “fruit of the Spirit” through speaking in tongues, but they can’t exhibit love or decency to those around them two minutes before or after their spiritual experience.

While I found the morning rather humorous, Wife believes that attending this church again may be grounds for divorce (just kidding…sort of).

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

I Corinthians 13:1-3