The previous cast, "Surprise, Surprise", raised the vexing question of exceptions in the practice of grace to sinners and sufferers. I spoke about the chronic inability of Christians who emphasize grace to embody it in relation to specific sinners and specific sins. One example I chose was from the Reformed world and one was from the Social Progressive world. The context of each was different, but the phenomenon is the same: "talking the talk" re grace and "radical welcome" but exempting certain individuals or groups of individuals from its "saving embrace".

My question now is How Come? How is it possible for Gospel-emphasizing Christians to still flee a particular sinner? And how is it possible for Inclusion-emphasizing Christians to make "traditional" Christians feel so un-included?

Well, one thing I know is that when you and I are loved -- really loved, concretely and personally -- at our worst point, then we almost cannot fail to extend that mercy to other people at their worst point, no matter what it is. Mary and I have seen this time and again. You probably have, too.

The cast concludes with an illustration from the 1935 movie version of "The Last Days of Pompeii", and a reference to the British TV mini-series "We The Accused" (1980). Each incident described mirrors the Real Thing. It is why we are Christians, after all. LUV U.