[Look, something brought you to this blog post. But if you’d like to see something else that may be more worth your time, please check out the blurb about my soon-to-be-published novel on my new website. It’s basically about seeing a different perspective of Jesus, through the eyes of some background characters in the Bible. New website: cjpenn.com]

Has someone ever invited you into their home, and you walked into a house full of clutter and filth? Dirty clothes scattered on the floor, random trash ignored in the corners, tattered furniture, a floor barely visible through the debris, thick dust, and a stale locker room smell – home sweet home. How would you feel walking into such a place and invited to sit on a drink-stained couch? Uncomfortable? Disgusted? Looking for an excuse to leave? Or, maybe you could look beyond the surface filth, to the person who lives there. Maybe you could give more attention to the relationship than the clutter.

I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, look beyond the clutter. Many of you have messy lives, and you may believe that the filth of your humanity turns me off. But I look beyond the filth, to you. The greatest desire of my heart is to share your life with you, to live with you in the living room of your heart. And I don’t care how messy your heart is.

Please, invite me in.