I hate hospitals. I hate going and being around sick people, especially when you can’t do anything to help them. I hate listening to the all the little noises that you hear inside waiting rooms: crying, uncomfortable kids, the constantly-ringing phones, people nervously shifting in their seats, patients’ names being called–they’re horrible sounds. Plus, you never hear good news when you’re in a hospital. Well, not usually, at least. They’re sterile and suffocating and people there have all kinds of problems. Hospitals make me so nervous. I don’t even like going inside them to use the bathroom. I get nervous just thinking about having to go inside one. I try to avoid hospitals like the plague. (Har har.)

In a way, churches can kind of be like hospitals. They’re full of sick, sinful people; uncomfortable people, nervously shifting in their seats, waiting for their sins to be called out. It can be suffocating if you don’t understand God’s grace. Many people try to avoid churches the way I try avoiding hospitals.

Thankfully, in a church, there is Good News to be shared, unlike in hospitals.

“‘The time has come,’ he [Jesus] said. ‘The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!'” -Mark 1:15

We have the ultimate doctor.

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-

who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases…” -Psalm 103:2-3

In Jesus, we aren’t sick, dirty, sinful people. We’re washed in the blood of the Lamb. And that’s about as sterilely clean anyone can ever get. Sorry hospitals.