Through the Cracks

By Jim Faughn
     A number of years ago, we spent the night with a family who lived in a very unusual house. Although the family lived in Tennessee, much of the house was a reconstructed log house that had been taken apart in Kentucky and reassembled in the Nashville area. To be sure, a lot had been added to the original house, and it had been updated a great deal. This house was in a very nice neighborhood and was far from being a shack.
     However, the owners had decided to leave much of the interior of the original house as it had been. I guess they thought it added “personality” to the house. I can still remember some of the light from downstairs filtering through the cracks in the floor of our second story bedroom.
     My memory is not good enough to remember how large the cracks in the floor were. I do not know if a coin or something else of value could have fallen through one of those cracks. I guess it wouldn’t have mattered a great deal if such a thing had occurred, though. Whatever fell through a crack on the second story could have been retrieved on the first floor (which had been redone in such a way that there were no cracks in the floor).
     I am aware of the fact that there have been times when something of value has fallen through the cracks in a house or some other building. At times, the loss is not noticed during the lifetime of the people who lived there. At other times, the loss may be noticed, but steps may never be taken to find whatever it was that was lost. The object lost was not of sufficient value to merit much effort.
     I am also well aware of the fact that something of far greater value than any material thing all too often falls through the cracks somewhere else. While the value is immeasurable, very little, if any, effort at retrieval is made.
     Is it not the case that immortal souls sometimes “fall through the cracks” in local congregations?
     Attendance patterns become sporadic; involvement wanes; and/or other things are warning signs. Before long (and before many know it), somebody has fallen through the cracks and is lost.
     What should be done? What is often not done?
     Will elders, preachers, and others “…who are spiritual…restore him in a spirit of gentleness…” (Gal. 6:1)? Will we make the kind of diligent search made by the woman in our Lord’s parable who lost something valuable in her house (cf. Luke 15:8)? Will we really just go on with our lives either not caring about or not noticing the loss?
     While you think about your answer to those questions, take moment to think about a few other things ---
The length of eternity
The value of every soul
The “Golden Rule” (What would you want somebody to do if you were the one falling through the cracks?)
Your responsibility as a child of God to the other members of His family.

- Jim Faughn serves as an elder and preacher for the Central church of Christ in Paducah KY.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org