We all love a good redemption story.

The drug dealer who finally got an honest job and excelled.
The addict who got clean and started a family.
The single mom doing anything and everything to survive finally finding stability for her family.

We applaud these stories. We cheer the protagonist on as they move forward and become “a productive member of society.”

BUT WHAT ABOUT IN THE BEGINNING?

Because… at the start of this same story there’s a drug dealer, an addict, or a woman trapped in prostitution.
There’s not much to cheer. And when you think about their impact on society, “drain” is the word that comes to mind… not “productive.”

AND WHAT ABOUT IN THE MIDDLE?

When those old friends, the bad influences, stop by for just one last night?
When relapse happens yet again?
Or when a bill is due… and a decision has to be made about how to get the money.

We all love the redemption story. But are we willing to be a part of it from the beginning?

When the path forward looks bleak?
When we have to fight hard in our hearts and minds to see “image bearer” rather than “dealer” or “addict” or “prostitute?”

Or do we just want to sit on the sidelines and clap when the story ends the way we want it to and cast judgement when it doesn’t?

Jesus willingly entered the disastrous train wreck that was all of our lives in the beginning… when we didn’t deserve it and when everything about us looked bleak. He didn’t just sit back, waiting to see if there was going to be something worth cheering at the end.

He holds us close when we take one step forward… and then two (or many, many more) steps back. Each and every time.

So, if “Christ-like” is what we aim for, what choice do we have when we enter the story?