Holiness That Crosses the Street

When Peter wrote "be holy in all you do," the Greek word hagios didn't mean pristine or untouched. It meant set apart — dedicated to a purpose larger than yourself. A friend of mine pastors a small congregation in Portland that lost half its members when they hung a rainbow flag outside. The ones who stayed started showing up earlier on Sundays — not for worship, but to clean up needles from the church parking lot where unhoused neighbors slept during the week.…