Poop Throwing Monkeys

I haven’t been to the zoo in a while.  In fact, the last time I went to the zoo was in 2002 in Louisville, KY.  However, if you go on a regular basis, you might see monkeys throwing poop.  I’m not sure why they do this, but they do.  And we find this a bit amusing, don’t we?

For some reason, this came out in a conversation I was having with my buddy, Dave, a few weeks ago.  We were talking about how often those of us in the church act like these monkeys.  Not any church in particular.  It seems to infest many churches based on our conversation.   Here is how it often goes.

A group from the church has gathered together.  They have decided to pray together.  One person says, “We need to pray for Mary Jo.  Her life with the Lord just isn’t what it should be right now.  Do you know who she went out with the other night?  Blah, Blah, Blah.”  Guess what?  The poop has been thrown.  Thrown directly on you.  Guess what we often do?  We often scoop it off and do the same thing, throwing it later onto someone else.  And it goes on and on.

Or take this scenario.

Someone has a problem with another person in the church.  Rather than going to that person directly, they go talk about it with everyone else in the church.  Everyone in the church knows that the first person has a problem with the second person.  Except the second person, of course.  The poop has been thrown all over the church.  Then suddenly, without warning, the entire church throws all of their poop at the unsuspecting second person.  A bunch of monkeys throwing poop.

We’re all probably guilty of this, aren’t we?  If not now, we’ve done it at some point.  It’s sad that we let this go on in the church.  What should be happening?  We should be stimulating each other to love and good deeds, encouraging one another.  At least that’s what Hebrews 10:24-25 says.

What should have happened in the above scenarios?  Someone should have lovingly stopped that first monkey from throwing poop in the prayer meeting.  The first person in the second scenario should have lovingly gone to the second person and discussed the problem.

We in the church aren’t monkeys.  We are sheep.  Not just any sheep.  Redeemed sheep.  Let’s start acting like it.

Beware of monkeys throwing poop.

Have you ever been guilty of  throwing poop like a monkey?