“A church isn’t the building—it’s all the people who struggle in it. Good, bad, and otherwise.” – Double the Lies, Patricia Raybon
Have you ever heard someone say they’re not attending church because they don’t like the people who go there? Maybe you’ve even said it yourself.
The church is full of hypocrites.
These people are supposed to represent Christ?
Because that’s the crux of our issue with the church, isn’t it? We can’t understand how people who claim to serve a holy, loving God can be so cold.
Callous.
Mean, even.
Somehow, we forget they’re still people. Still wrestling with sins and life in a sinful world.
Still struggling to understand that the grace God offers freely doesn’t mean their problems miraculously disappear.
Some do. But a lot remains. New issues crop up as these believers struggle to assimilate their faith with the realities of their lives.
That’s why I appreciate this quote so much. Because it’s a reminder that the people of God aren’t perfect.
No.
They’re still working out their salvation with fear and trembling.
Still working to remember that they’re saved by grace.
Just as we are.
They’re not perfect. Not by a long shot. And that’s a good thing.
Because it means that when we become members of the church, they won’t expect us to be perfect either.
Instead, we’ll become a part of the body of Christ. Living imperfect lives as we seek to serve a Perfect God.
About the Book
An Amateur Sleuth Historical Fiction Mystery Set in 1920s Denver
In the second installment of Patricia Raybon’s critically acclaimed mystery series, amateur detective Annalee Spain races the clock to solve the murder of a handsome young pilot before she is framed for the crime—and before his dashing twin falls head over heels for her, tempting her promised heart.
On a cold spring night in 1924, Annalee Spain offers her new fancy lace handkerchief—a gift from her pastor boyfriend Jack Blake—to a young woman crying in a Denver public library. But later that night, when police find the handkerchief next to the body of the young woman’s murdered husband, Annalee becomes the number one suspect, and her panic doubles when she learns that Jack has gone missing.
With just days to solve the murder before the city’s Klan-run police frame her for the crime, Annalee finds herself hunting for clues in the Colorado mountain town of Estes Park. She questions the victim’s wife and her uncle, a wealthy Denver banker, at their mountain lodge, desperate for leads. Instead, she finds a household full of suspects and even more burning questions.
Who keeps threatening her, why can’t she find Jack, and will a dangerous flirtation be her undoing? Her answers plumb the depths of the human heart, including her own, exploring long-buried secrets, family lies, even city politics—all of which could cost the young detective her fledgling love . . . and perhaps even her life.
Purchase Double the Lies on Amazon | Christianbook