Here’s a good news story – and not so good.

Armen was released from prison after four years for armed robbery. He had a drug addiction and held up his local news agency with a blood filled syringe.

Gaol didn’t cure him, nor did Corrective Services “correct” him. In fact he could still get at least one fix a day in prison.

So, when Armen left prison he was looking forward to re-establishing his contacts to make sure he had a more regular supply of heroin. That was easy enough but, in God’s providence, as he was buying his first supply on the street, one of his new friends told him there was this really great visiting preacher at the nearby church, and they should go, check him out. Armen thought the church might be a good place to shoot up, so he readily agreed.

They entered the building surrounded by many people coming to hear the speaker. Armen made his way to the toilets where he locked himself in a cubicle and injected the heroin he had just bought. He then went and sat in the back of the auditorium.

Sitting there with a warm sense of joy and deep peace coming from the heroin, Armen heard what the preacher was saying. It made sense. The man seemed to be speaking directly to Armen. He took notice. He suddenly realised that God is real. He heard that Jesus welcomed people to come with their burdens and lay them on Him. It wasn’t as if Armen thought that he might give this a go. It was just real. Right at that moment, Armen was laying his burden at the feet of Jesus.

Armen left the meeting that night and has never had a craving for heroin since. He simply follows Jesus. He met his wife at that church. They now have a daughter and Armen holds down a good job in the transport industry. That’s the good news.

Because of his years of drug abuse Armen had been infected with hepatitis C. This affected his energy levels but one day Armen realised he wasn’t feeling his usual tiredness. At his next blood test the doctor was amazed that the results came back negative for the Hep C virus. He did the test again, and again. There was no doubt. Armen no-longer had Hep C. That’s still the good news.

Since Armen walked out of that church the night he laid his burden on Jesus, he has had a simple joy in the Lord and quite naturally talks to others about Jesus. He easily talks with his work colleagues, telling them how Jesus took his burden and how Jesus healed him of Hep C. They think this is great news and some of these colleagues also put their trust in the Lord. That’s still the good news.

And the not so good: Many of Armen’s colleagues, who want to follow Jesus, find it very difficult to fit into a church. They’re people who generally have known the rough side of life and stand out in most churches – in the “wrong” way. Christian people find it hard to welcome Armen’s colleagues.

Jesus condemned the religious people and welcomed the outcast and sinners. Why do we do such a lousy job at following our Lord’s example? Here’s my theory: we who have been accepted unconditionally want to put conditions on others. I don’t mean that we should not say, “go and sin no more.” We might need to take the log out of our own eye first, but what I’m really talking about is more of a social acceptance. We find it very difficult to accept people who are different from us. Some people take a bit more effort than others. But what should a congregation of Christian people look like? Like me?

So. How do we change it? How do we fellowship with God’s people? Even those we find socially awkward?