Preacher's Piece

People who wonder if the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable.

Today’s column is dedicated to the characters who stand out in my life.

When I was a kid, for reasons I never inquired about, my parents befriended a criminal. His name was Jim. I remember we prayed for him on a regular basis. He was in jail at the time and when he got released, the whole family rode in our station wagon to the jailhouse to pick him up. Dad went in the front door of the jail and reemerged a few minutes later, got back in the car, and drove around to a side do...