The Dilemma
Sometimes the most profound reminders show up in routine conversations with a friend. Yesterday a friend of mine shared a story with me about a broken relationship...she prefaced the story with a question, "I want to ask you what you really believe..." At the end of a story of bad behavior and a broken heart, she asked me, "Do you believe people can change?" It might seem trite, but this conversation demonstrates how Jesus and the message of the Gospel are at the heart of our most important questions. How could this conversation about a young woman's broken heart and the puzzling behavior of her former boyfriend have a connection to Advent? As it turns out, Advent is the very reason I could say to my friend, "Yes, I believe people can change." But mine is not a glib or uninformed answer. I have made more than my share of mistakes in life, some of them incredibly substantial and hurtful to myself and others. I have also be...