Tuesday, October 16, 2012

An Open Letter to Those I Love....

It began one night when I received a call from South Africa. The woman was weeping and telling me a real-life horror story. I had heard them before, but this was one of the first as on outsider. I had just left the church that I loved and had served for almost thirty years.

As a public outsider now, the phone calls and emails escalated until I got several every single week. Talk about Atlas Shrugging. All of a sudden God was allowing me, without my expressed acceptance, to enter a ministry that I was unprepared for. I was going through my own traumatic transition and all of a sudden I became the poster child for former Adventists.

But the stories I was hearing were rarely like mine. These people were going through severe abuse, they had been or were suicidal. They were in the midst of terrible divorces or they were being shunned by family and friends.

Most of the time, all I could do was listen. I actually couldn't even sympathize to the degree that they were so desperately needing. My SDA experience had been a positive one. Leaving was the traumatic part for me, not the years of being Adventist.

My family was liberal and very grace-oriented. No hidden bitterness, no anger.

But I was overwhelmed with people who had a very different experience within Adventism.

The book my husband and I wrote was never about trying to get Adventists who love Christ to leave. It was to help those people who were leaving or who had already left and felt they were all alone in the world. Who were waking up every single night with cold sweats and nightmares. Those so frightened that if they stopped keeping Sabbath, they would be forever annihilated. Our ministry is to help those traumatized, not a group to criticize Adventists.

In fact, I cannot think of an Adventist I dislike (well except those SDA leaders who have actively promoted abortion....). I do not think badly of Adventists nor do I think they are stupid.

I know Adventists very well. They are good people. They do really nice things. If you are a happy SDA, God bless you, we really would be great friends. I don't really care if you are SDA if you love Jesus. I think many SDAs are kept there by Christ to gently bring the church into mainstream Christianity.

Do not assume because I have a ministry for questioning and former Adventists that my husband and I think poorly of you. In fact we don't.

Our hearts are about rescuing those who ASK for our help. Our hearts are about protecting and defending the innocent and those who feel utterly abused by SDA doctrines. Of course if you are a happy SDA you will disagree. We totally get that. We are not in any way trying to be "in your face" about anything!

When an SDA is lying by the side of the road wounded, we can't just pass them by. There are Adventist who seem to think that we shouldn't get involved because there are other wounded people from other churches. Well, God didn't place those people in our path. Because we have been SDA we are naturally the ones formers will go to for understanding.

Because there are wounded SDAs I don't blame all Adventists for that. All I ask is to please try and understand that I feel I MUST help them. I would LOVE for SDAs to help us. We need you. 

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