It is a miracle, I believe, that this church could love people generally thought to be unlovable every day for thirty years. I can understand programs for the poor becoming institutionalized and continuing indefinitely. It is people from all classes and races who respond to love that carries no strings or conditions. Everyone is fed. They can receive medical attention and counseling.
People can go as far and as fast as they are capable in beginning a new life.
If people fall back into old ways, they are missed and prayed for. They are always received back with eagerness and expectation that today is day one of a new life. My hope is that these words here are a tribute to all those churches and to their vision, courage, and compassion. The church in which I shared beans and franks is Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco. Glide has become my teacher in radical discipleship and faithfulness.