For me, this week marks an anniversary.
The occasion recalled a question. More than 40 years ago, a pastor asked if Jesus welcomed outcasts and embraced untouchables to make them acceptable to God. His answer: a resounding NO!
He did it to show them, and everyone else, that God had already accepted them.
To a guy who felt at that point very much like a failure and an outcast, those words were most reassuring.
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Earlier this week we marked the 35th anniversary of “Falling Down Day.”
December 5, 1987 – the date of my injury. The date I was consigned to life in a wheelchair.
To a guy trying to figure out his identity as a quadriplegic, who felt very much like an outcast and an untouchable, those words – knowing Jesus embraced people like me – became a lifeline.