A beautiful job

One day in Brussels, I went to the metro ticket office to ask for directions to my hotel. Little did I know that this would lead to a reflection on the nature of my vocation. The agent, behind the glass partition, remarked on the cross I was wearing, asking, 'You're religious, aren't you? You wear a cross?' 'Yes,' I replied. He then informed me that there was a church nearby, a renowned cathedral. He then wanted to know if I ever sang in church. I told him, 'No, I'm not a singer, I'm a pastor.'

A few minutes of silence as he weighed the likelihood that this person before him could actually be a member of the clergy. Breaking his astonished silence, he finally said. 'It's a wonderful job.' Hm! Actually, I'd never thought of it in those terms. 'You must meet a lot of people,' he said. 'Yes, but I'm sure you must meet more,' I replied, thinking of the thousands of people who buy tickets every day. How I'd love to see some of those people in church!

He wasn't finished. 'Oh, you must hear people talking about all their problems. If I were to start telling mine, we'd be stuck until tomorrow morning,' this middle-aged man with a serene and rather friendly face told me. We continued our conversation for a short while, and I left there reflecting on the fact that when he spoke about the role of the pastor, he didn't talk about God, nor about the role of the pastor in communicating the knowledge of God to others, in helping people receive deliverance through the word of God and prayer, but only about the pastor as a counselor and psychologist.

And this is a very widespread vision. For many, the church, God, is those who give advice, who listen to our problems without really expecting any solution, at least without the intention of doing our part to live fully for God day by day, to accept the challenge of growing spiritually, knowing the word of God, praying, being diligent in church meetings and serving. But talking to a pastor will not be enough to solve your problems, there are spiritual forces at play that must be addressed through the word of God and prayer.

There are also character issues that must be addressed through repentance and a daily walk with and for God. In many cases, the problems for which people seek counseling are rooted in rebellion, disobedience, and selfishness; the primary antidote is Repentance with a capital R.

Some listening is necessary, but it is possible to overdo it, to find ourselves as pastors getting people to talk only to us when we should be getting them to talk to God, and many pastors are then made to feel guilty when the situation does not change. We must teach people to communicate directly with the Father, to live in holiness, so that pastors will be more available to preach and teach the gospel and to care for those who have a real need of counseling.

Shalom