Safe. (Adj.) protected from or not exposed to danger or risk; not likely to be harmed or lost.
Is the church a “safe” place? Is the church supposed to be a “safe” place?
For some, the answer to this question is obviously “YES!” You may think about moments when the church has been unwelcoming to you. Maybe, you think about that time when you were treated poorly, or when someone violated your trust. For some, these moments absolutely turn your stomach. Of course the church needs to be a safe place for people to come and feel welcome!! Of course the church needs to be the safe place for all people to come and hear the truth about the love of God through the good news of Jesus Christ, right?
However, for some of us the word “safe” can mean something entirely different. For some of us, “safe” equals “watered down” or “puny.” For some, the term “safe” conjures up the slogans of the contemporary Christian radio stations who claim that their message is always “Positive,” “Encouraging,” and “Safe for the whole family.” Now, although there is nothing wrong with things that are positive, encouraging, or safe, it must be understood that the message of the cross of Christ is anything but “safe.” It is a message that says, “Take up your cross and follow me.” Or, to say it another way, “come and die.” All one has to do is to simply look at all of those who are facing persecution and even martyrdom for the faith… The gospel cannot be “safe,” right?
So, is the church “safe”? Should the church be “safe”?
The answer is (and has to be) both yes and no. You answer to this question depends on your definition of the word “safe.” If you are asking if the church should be a safe place for the sinner, for the person who is searching, for the person who has lost their way, for the person who is absolutely broken, for the person who is stuck in their own sins, or for the person who is desperately awaiting an intervention from God, then YES, YES, and YES!!! Our churches must always be a safe place for sinners (including the sinner who has been following Christ for many years). The church must always be a place for sinners to hear the gospel of Christ, to experience the power of the Spirit, and to know the love of the Father. Our church must always be a safe place for every sinner. Our church must be “safe.”
However, if we are asking if the church’s message should be a “safe” message, the answer must be NO. Believe it or not, the gospel is radical. Of course, I am not saying that we are each called to sell everything that we own, become a monk, or move oversees to the mission field, but the gospel does run counter to our world and our flesh. Meaning, the gospel calls us to die to yourself daily… That is not a “safe” message. The gospel calls us to lay down our old ways, our old habits, our “old-self,” and to put on the “new-self”… Again, this is not easy or “safe.” In fact, although grace is freely offered through the cross of Christ, and although our salvation does not rest on anything we have done or will do, discipleship is often costly. Following Jesus will cost you something. The gospel is not “safe.”
So again, should the church be “safe”?
The church should be a safe place for all people to hear the beautifully un–safe gospel message.