the fall

As a social worker, I encounter many individuals facing grief, trauma, or persistent, soul-destroying poverty. People fall under the weight of it all, and sometimes the fall is spectacular.

What I love most about Central as a community is how we respond to the troubles of our time. Central is a place where, whatever the fall-a relapse, a theft, a lie-your place in a loving community is secure. It takes time for people to trust the staff and other community members, as we are all more accustomed to judgment and shame when our values and actions don’t align.

At Central, we do more than forgive; we are committed to the “seventy times seven” we are called to, forgiveness without limit, and to the constant offer of welcome to prodigal daughters and sons wandering in the desert, longing for home.

This might seem hard, but it feels natural. After ten years of “being Central,” there is a calm confidence that we can love people back into community, no matter the causes and conditions.

During this Easter season, global events seem to be in conflict with the values of kindness and love. There are wars and cruelty, both domestic and foreign, that I am powerless to change. That makes what we can do at Central even more important: to keep modeling and even doubling down on love and forgiveness and care for each another.