Helping the fallen
Alberto González Muñoz
SUMMARY: The author shares a story of a young woman who fell into sexual temptation and was abandoned by her Christian family. Instead of showing her love and support, they closed their doors on her. The author emphasizes that even after knowing the gospel, people can fall into sinful actions and treating them with love and mercy is essential to help them get back on their feet. Sometimes disciplinary action will be unavoidable, but it should always be generous and restorative while remaining firm. The author also shares a positive story of a young man who confessed to his parents and was shown love and support, which helped him rectify his life. The author encourages readers to show love and support to their brothers and sisters who fall.
It has often been said that the Christian army is the only one that mistreats its wounded. It pains me to admit that in my pastoral experience I have sometimes seen that criticism to be true. A young woman from my church was seduced and abandoned after a sad night when she fell into sexual temptation. She was a good girl, who had been raised in the church and who naively believed the false promises of someone who only wanted to satisfy her desires, without any other kind of commitment.
The young woman did not live with her parents, who were divorced, but with other relatives, also members of the church. When they found out what had happened, they decided that the young woman could no longer live with them because she had tainted the family's testimony. It is true that the prestige of a Christian family had suffered a sad low blow. But it was much more painful that they, instead of helping the girl overcome her fall and surround her with love, forgiveness and understanding, they closed the doors completely.
Even after knowing the gospel, people can fall into sinful actions. Treating them with love and mercy is essential to help them get back on their feet. Teaching people who fall the consequences of their actions and the price they pay by succumbing to temptation does not exclude that we treat them with true Christian affection. We must try to understand them by giving them support and consideration. We do not agree with what they have done nor can we justify them, but we can give them all our love, which is the most they need at times like this. Sometimes disciplinary action will be unavoidable, but she should always be generous and restorative while remaining firm.
I participated in a different story with another young man, who after falling into a temptation came to confess to me and asked me for help to face his parents. The young man did not know how to face them and was embarrassed. I spoke with both of them and they were willing to welcome their son and help him. When the son arrived, they hugged him and cried with him, caressing him and assuring him that they loved him and would help him despite everything. The love and sincere pain that both showed for the son's sin that most helped the boy to rectify his life.
Can we do the same with our brothers who fall?
God bless you!
The young woman did not live with her parents, who were divorced, but with other relatives, also members of the church. When they found out what had happened, they decided that the young woman could no longer live with them because she had tainted the family's testimony. It is true that the prestige of a Christian family had suffered a sad low blow. But it was much more painful that they, instead of helping the girl overcome her fall and surround her with love, forgiveness and understanding, they closed the doors completely.
Even after knowing the gospel, people can fall into sinful actions. Treating them with love and mercy is essential to help them get back on their feet. Teaching people who fall the consequences of their actions and the price they pay by succumbing to temptation does not exclude that we treat them with true Christian affection. We must try to understand them by giving them support and consideration. We do not agree with what they have done nor can we justify them, but we can give them all our love, which is the most they need at times like this. Sometimes disciplinary action will be unavoidable, but she should always be generous and restorative while remaining firm.
I participated in a different story with another young man, who after falling into a temptation came to confess to me and asked me for help to face his parents. The young man did not know how to face them and was embarrassed. I spoke with both of them and they were willing to welcome their son and help him. When the son arrived, they hugged him and cried with him, caressing him and assuring him that they loved him and would help him despite everything. The love and sincere pain that both showed for the son's sin that most helped the boy to rectify his life.
Can we do the same with our brothers who fall?
God bless you!
