It’s a temptation for the fired-up Christian today to read the Gospels, see that Jesus cared for lepers, and then go see if she (or he) can find some lepers. But that’s a wooden imitation instead of a living embodiment. Discerning Christians embody the vision of Jesus in the concrete situations of life. Instead of looking for real lepers so they can be like Jesus, discerning Christians “find lepers” in their immediate world and minister to them. And it’s even more than this: it’s not simply finding close analogies. It’s being the presence of Jesus wherever we are and ministering to those who happen to be on our path.

Or, what stories do you have to tell about learning to invite “sinners” to your home?

This is why I like Arron Chambers‘ new book, Eats with Sinners: Reaching Hungry People Like Jesus Did
. It’s a down to earth, written-for-lay-persons, guide to opening a home for ministry to “sinners” in our world. (And he’s got recipes for food to prepare for such meals.) The themes of the book, which are also dotted with sidebars and good study questions at the end, emerge from concrete praxis of table fellowship. The chapters are about practical themes: integrity, accessibility, grace, faith, intimacy, tolerance, resolve, urgency, mercy, humility, investment, joy and vision. There was an authenticity to this whole book …