Everybody, Always

making me feel welcome and for letting me hear your stories. You’ve
reshaped how I experience my faith and see the world. The way you’ve
loved people reminds me of the way Jesus did it.
To the team of people who help me daily get to where I’m supposed
to be and have something to say when I get there, thank you. Dae, Becky,
Haley, Tatave, and Jordan, you lead us with love and confidence and
kindness.
Finally, to the courageous and hardworking crew at Love Does, the
mile-long parade of friends who make the work possible around the
world, and to the more than one hundred teachers and thousands of kids
in our schools, keep being brave and courageous and steadfast in your
love for people who aren’t like you. Don’t give in to the pressure to be
like each other; be like Jesus. You haven’t backed down as you’ve fought
for a better future for yourselves. Keep fighting for the people who
haven’t felt included yet—even if they creep you out. They are your
brothers and sisters. Invite them to the party. If they say no, it’s just
because they’re scared; invite them again.
God doesn’t give us a recipe for living as a community, but He gives
us great ingredients: He gives us everybody, always. If we’re going to get
it right, it’s going to take everybody to pull it off. It won’t get done in a
day or two either. It’s going to take always.