Growing up, I was skeptical of people who didn’t profess Christ, even a little worried that their secular ways would rub off on me. I wanted to surround myself with people who believed the same way I did. I was sure this would protect me from situations where I wouldn’t be supported.
If you’ve been in the church long enough, you know that even wonderful, faithful communities sometimes let people slide through the cracks. Unlike God, we are imperfect and can’t be everywhere. Whether we’re pastors, church leaders, faith community members, we let people down. Sometimes we cross the street and walk by on the other side.
This message is an excerpt of “Unexpected neighbors” by Cara Strickland in the March 2018 issue of Gather magazine.
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