Don't Shoot the Wounded

If you are a Christian, you have faced some hard situations. Many situations we find ourselves in can cause us to experience profound guilt and sorrow. Recently I have been going through some old (I like the term classical) Christian songs. I ran across an old favorites song I  listened to often. "Don't Shoot the Wounded" by Chuck Girard (1982).

 

The words are as relevant now as they ever have been.

 

Chorus

Don't shoot the wounded, they need us more than ever

They need our love no matter what it is they've done

Sometimes we just condemn them,

and don't take time to here their story

Don' shoot the wounded, someday you might be one

 

It's easy to love the people who are standing hard and fast

Pressing on to meet that higher calling

But to the ones who might be struggling,

we tend to judge too harshly

And refuse to try and catch them when they are falling

We put people into boxes and we draw our hard conclusions

And when they do the things we know they should not do

We sometimes write them off as hopeless

and we throw them to the dogs

Our compassion and forgiveness sometimes seem in short supply

So I say....

 

Chorus

 

We love them and forgive them

When their sin does not exceed our own

For we too have been down bumpy roads before

But when they commit offenses outside the boundaries we have set

We judge them in a word and we turn them out,

And we close the door

Myself I've been forgiven for so many awful things

I've been cleansed and washed and bathed so many times

That when I see a brother who has fallen from the way

I just can't find the license to convict him of his crimes,

So I say....

 

Chorus

 

That doesn't mean we turn our heads when we see a brother sin

And pretend that what he's doing is all right

But we must help him see the his error, we must lead him to repent

Cry with those who cry, but bring their deeds into the light

For it's the lame that need the crutch

It's the prodigal who needs the loving hand

For a man who's in despair, there should be

Kindness from his friends

'Lest he should forsake the fear of almighty God

And turn from God and man

So I say....

 

Chorus 

 

Listen to the song here.