Years ago, I attended a church service in which a man, while standing before his church family, pleaded with those in the church to keep an eye on him. If he ever started to go in a direction that appeared to be in error, he gave everyone in the congregation permission to approach him on the matter and correct him. He explained that it may be that they would be wrong in their assessment of his actions but he would rather they come to him than not. If their assessment was wrong, he would explain his actions. He would not be angry with them for doing as he asked. He would deeply appreciate their concern for his spiritual welfare. Better to err on the side of caution, you might say. Do you think his request was ever honored?

Talking to a friend about the above incident, my friend cringed at such a request. The last thing he would want was for some "goody two-shoes", arrogant, judgmental, self-righteous Christian making judgments as to whether or not he was measuring up to proper standards. He would not relish having "brothers" looking down their noses at him, judging his every action, salivating over the chance to feel superior. He had a point. More about this later.

The question I would ask is - what is our responsibility? Are we responsible for our brother or sister in the Lord? Are we to confront a brother? Are we to be our brother's keeper?  If so, are we doing it correctly? Are we doing it, at all?

I've asked this last question of quite a few people to whom I've witnessed. Why would I ask such a question? It was asked because many would  explain to me that they were once a member of a church but were no longer attending. Several I've spoken with had been very active in their church. Some had taught Sunday School classes. Some had been members of the church board. Some had sang in the choir. You get the idea. They had gradually drifted away from God. Usually, while still being active. They slowly began to withdraw from the congregation. Eventually, they just stopped attending church services, altogether. At the end of their recounting of the details of their spiritual downward spiral, I would ask them the question, "Did anyone come to you and express their concern? Did anyone call on you when you stopped attending services?" Amazingly, the answer was almost always the same - "No". They felt they just weren't important to their church. No one seemed to notice. If they did, no one noticed enough or were brave enough to express their concern and help stop the backward slide. Once they left, completely, no one pursued them. What a pity.

Was it the congregation's responsibility to notice and come to the rescue? No, you might say, it is the Pastor's responsibility. After all, Hebrews 13:17 says that those that have the rule watch for the souls of those under their rule and that they will have to give an account, answering to God. That's a heavy responsibility, indeed. But is it only the Pastor's job? What if he has 5,000 members in his church? How is he to keep an eye on everyone in his congregation or follow up on everyone that stops attending? Along with visitation, sermon preparation, funerals, and weddings, is it reasonable to expect one man to be able to keep track of everyone that attends his church, especially if it's a church with substantial membership? I submit to you that we in the laity are also responsible to each other. How or why would we stand by and let a brother or sister fall away from God without saying a word? How can it be okay to do so?

The Bible says, "Brethren (doesn't that include you?), if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one…"  And how are we to restore?  We are to act "in a spirit of gentleness".  Why? - "lest you also be tempted".  We are to "bear  one another's burdens" which fulfills "the law of Christ" (Galations 6:1-2)  It is an act of love, which we are also commanded to do. We must be compassionate, knowing that, we, too, could fall. If we are arrogant or proud, we will drive the very one we are trying to help farther away. It should be done discreetly and we must not do anything that would embarrass a struggling brother. We, too, could some day be struggling. We, too, could someday need someone to give us a call and express concern. We, too, could someday be in dire need of compassion.

The armed forces are a good example of people looking out for one another. It moves me to see our armed forces in operation. I'm moved at not just their awesome power and efficiency, but  also the way they look out for each other. There is an extremely strong bond between fellow soldiers. The same can be said of law enforcement officers. They watch out for each other as they can be in danger of losing their lives at any moment. They watch each other's back. If one is wounded in battle, they rush to the rescue. A common phrase used in the movie, "Blackhawk Down" was "NO ONE GETS LEFT BEHIND!". I saw this same attitude in the rescue of Jessica Lynch. Men and women routinely risk their own lives to rescue a fallen or captured or endangered comrade. Isn't that an amazing act? Well, aren't we Christians in a battle for our lives? Wouldn't the enemy of our souls love to wipe us from the face of the earth? Aren't we susceptible to attacks from every side, including the back side? Isn't it possible for us to be captured by the enemy? After all, our enemy, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour (1Peter 5:8). He comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) and he has a vast army (Ephesians 6:12).  Who will come to a fallen brother's rescue if not his comrades in the Lord? Who is watching our back? Who, if anyone, is watching your back? Whose back are you watching? Do we have the "NO ONE GETS LEFT BEHIND" attitude, also?

This area is filled to the brim with people who once attended church but do so no longer. Brothers and sisters are falling through the cracks everyday. If you notice someone slipping, why not approach them? Just tell them that they have been on your mind and ask how things are with them. Watch out for them. Pray for them. Let them know that you are praying for them and that you are there if they need you. That, in itself, means a lot to people. Pursue a spiraling comrade! Let's cover each other's backs. Let's, in love and compassion, be our brother's keeper. Don't let a comrade fall if you can possibly do something about it. Now, all your efforts may go in vain. The sliding comrade may not respond to your attempt to help but they, still, are well worth the attempt. "Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:19-20).

So, did that man in this article's opening paragraph ever need someone to honor his request? Yes, he has needed it. So, did anyone honor his request? No, I don't recall it being honored.

And I should know.