Disrobed

On a busy summer afternoon in New York City’s Times Square, two men, only a few feet apart, carry two very different forms of identification cards. The first man proudly offers his card as payment for an excellent meal in a trendy restaurant. It’s the “Black Centurion Credit Card” – offered by invitation only to an elite group of customers. As the hype promises, the card provides “whatever you need, whenever you need it.” The card identifies the man as a member of that exclusive club that says, “I’ve made it. I’ve arrived.” Just outside the restaurant on a nearby corner, another somewhat different card is offered as identification to passersby as the second man, homeless, receives donations. Now common in many of America’s large cities, the laminated photo ID is required for admission into soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

It is Jesus who invites you now, not into “an exclusive club,” but into the Kingdom of Heaven, which is available to us all. It…