When Church People Act Like Jesus

The power of love when we don't see ourselves as lovable

One Sunday at a church I served as pastor, a woman I will call “Angie” showed up. It was clear that she had been shredded up by hard living.

Angie explained to greeters that she was in recovery from a drug addiction, to which the needle streaks and scars on her arms bore witness. She was less than thirty-days sober. The people at rehab had encouraged her…