Parable of Hiding from Ourselves

     There was once a young minister sitting in her house on a Sunday afternoon who was disturbed by a frantic banging on the front door. Upon opening the door, she was confronted by a distraught member of her church. It was obvious that he was exhausted from running to her house and that he was on the verge of tears.
     "What's wrong?" asked the minister.
     "Please can you help?" replied the man. "A kind and considerate family in the area is in great trouble. The husband recently lost his job, and the wife cannot work due to health problems. They have three young children to look after, and the man's mother lives with them as she is unwell and needs constant care. They are one day late with the rent, but despite the fact that they have lived there ten years with no problems and will likely have the money later in the week, the landlord is going to kick them all onto the street if they don't pay the full amount by the end of the day."
     "That's terrible," said the minister. "Of course we will help. I will go get some money from the Church fund to make up the shortfall. Anyway, how do you know them?"
     "Oh," replied the man. "I am the landlord."

-Insurrection, Peter Rollins (81-82)