How We Serve
At Broken Door Ministries, we believe that all people are either broken by their own sinfulness or wounded by living in a broken world. We also believe that Christian community is an essential part of a Christian’s life. Far too often, Christians go to great length to hide their brokenness. At Broken Door Ministries, we believe that it is precisely when we take off our masks, and openly share our struggles and brokenness with one another, that Jesus works through us, and through others to bring about healing.
The Parable of the Broken Door
When they had reached the house, the man stood and looked at the sad structure. It was a very old building, unpainted and abandoned long ago. The shutters were falling off and the front porch was rotting away. And the once beautiful front door was broken. The man tried to walk around to the back, but the house had been built right on the edge of the cliff. There was no way to get into the house except through the broken front door.
Finally, when the man walked completely inside the house he began to notice a gleaming bright light from back of the home. He walked forward through the dusty air towards a majestic door made of mahogany and leaded glass. Through the cut glass, the light beamed and glimmered throughout the old home.
The man wanted to see more of the light. He opened the beautiful door and stepped out onto a perfectly maintained porch with fresh paint and inviting rocking chairs. The view that had been hidden from the front of the home was now spectacularly shown in front of him. Gazing across the valley, the horizon stretched to eternity. The river below led to an impressive waterfall. Birds glided on the updrafts, and the man could hear children laughing and church bells ringing. It was as if the man was looking over all of creation. With no hesitation the man told the realtor that he would buy the house.
Many years had passed. Drawn by the beauty of the light through the back door and the brilliant view from the back porch, the man began to make this house his home. He had painted, repaired, and arranged his home so guests could enjoy the view out the back of the house and experience the same light and beauty that he had seen for the first time many years ago.
The Explanation of the Parable
We are the broken door! We are in need of repair. Perhaps our door only needs the hinges oiled. Perhaps it needs to be planed to fit the opening now that the house has settled over the years. Perhaps it has some rotted-out spots in need of putty, sanding and refinishing. No matter what it needs, it can be opened even in its broken condition.
The interior of the home is our heart, soul, and mind. These are the areas we first need to repair to make them appealing to the guests we invite inside.
Our guests are those people we encounter every day. Everyone we meet in all of the environments in which we live-at home, at work, and in our community can see by our actions and our words what is in our hearts.
That magnificent, beautiful, and perfect back door is Jesus Christ our Savior. And the view from the back porch is the view of God. The only way we are able to get to God is through the door of Jesus Christ.
The glorious view is obscured completely unless one enters through the broken front door. Even though our door squeaks, has rotted spots and is out of square, people can still enter into our home and experience the Christ in us. Upon entering, our guests will experience the warmth and love inside. They will quickly see that you have situated everything in your home around the streaming light of Jesus Christ, and that Jesus is the door that leads to God.
Now comes the challenging part. We cannot, we must not, wait until the door is perfect before inviting others into our life to meet Jesus who dwells within. That we need to work on our door is true. The weathering and deterioration of the door is the sin in our life. The rain of selfishness, the wind of worldly concerns will always beat on our door. But if we wait for perfection, we will deny others the opportunity to meet Jesus. And it is through Jesus that we bring others to God. Jesus calls us as we are-broken-to be the door through which others can enter to meet Him.
