Turning Around

A few weeks ago, Steve and I were traveling in West Virginia, visiting State Parks. We have a goal to visit them all. Almost all of the parks we visit are new to us, so we are often following a GPS or a map to try to find the park entrance - they are not always obvious.

On this particular Sunday, we were traveling to Audra State Park, and we missed the turn. The road to the park is a two lane road and there weren't many places to turn around. We ended up at the top of the mountain, and we found a little white church - Bethel United Methodist Church. Across the road from the church was a gravel parking lot, and that is where we turned around. 

 As I think about that, I am reminded of one of the scriptures from last Sunday's lectionary. Mark 1:4 says, "John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." 

Repentance. It means to turn around. To change direction. Steve and I were going the wrong direction, and we were grateful the church was there to provide us a place to turn around. 

Do we do that as churches? Do we provide safe places for people who are going in the wrong direction to turn around? To repent? To find forgiveness? Not in a judgmental way, but in a way full of love and caring?