He was bright, and backwards with a good dose of obnoxious. I was his pastor, which required that I include him with his more beautiful peers. A bit of a challenge, to say the least.

Realizing my weakness, I confessed my sin and asked for more grace!

Things began to change. I no longer checked the hallways to avoid the inevitable embarrassing public encounters with uncoolness. I learned that he was hurting inside—and at no fault of his own.

The new image of God that began to emerge from our conversations seemed alien and forbidding to him. I discovered why, at a store when I was accosted by a very angry man—his father. As his voice escalated in proportion to the veins in his neck, I encouraged him to go with me outside.

I listened calmly to his grievances against my ministry—a miracle. Without receiving the typical response that fueled his anger (and in his mind justified his actions), he soon ran out of steam.

He paused, so I described the life of our compassionate and merciful Savior. He tried to interrupt.

"You agreed to listen to my response," I said. He was breathing heavy, his face was red, and he shifted from side to side. I continued.

A few sentences later he burst out, "I'm not going to listen to you. You are SATAN!" He continued to rant and rave expletives as he walked away. "You are SATAN!" he shouted back to me.

Suddenly, a miracle. I saw this sick and twisted man through God's eyes. My heart was moved with compassion in partnership with the God of grace.

Gary Burns is the communication director for the Lake Union Conference.