It’s not Dirty to be Unclean

In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit… Mark 1:23

I was sitting at the campus park with the male student I was evangelizing; I was still working with Christ's Youth in Action (CYA) during that time. Afterward, his classmates pass by us and sarcastically remarked to him, "So, you are a member of CYA now?" The guy seemed deaf in those moments and I quickly answered for him, "Yes he is!" His classmates walked away scratching their heads. In my mind and heart, their scratching of their heads is justified. The guy I was evangelizing was a wretched. This guy is a drug addict. He is drunk when he comes to school. His grades are barely passing. He barely has friends. His family seems do not care about him.

He is like the man with an unclean spirit in the synagogue. With unclean spirit yet welcome in the synagogue. Society tells us only the clean may enter the synagogue. Society tells us the wretched and dirty will be excluded. The synagogue exists for the unclean. The church exists for the unclean. After all, we are all like him. We struggle in our imperfections. We are full of iniquities. Yet, we are in the synagogue. We are part of the church. We are members of this movement or charismatic community. We follow Christ not because we are perfect, but because we are cleansed and forgiven. We falter in loving Him, yet He does not falter in being faithful.

We won't pretend we are clean. We will not disguise as flawless. We welcome the unclean because they are one of us. Sit with them. Eat with them. See them in your church. Speak with them in your community. Pray with them. Pray for them. The synagogue has a place for each and one of us.

It's not dirty to be unclean.