19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back,
People can wander from the truth, and we need to be willing to go get them and bring them back. This is not a forced kidnapping situation. This, as all actions as a believer, is carried out in love. Our motivation and our actions need to signal deep, abiding love for the person and the direction of their lives. When people drift from the faith, they make a series of small choices that change their direction. We can be along their path as an “out of bounds” maker, guiding them back into the Truth. Picture a ski slope. At the edges of the downhill runs are makers that signal the edges of the course. Beyond those edges there is danger. Venturing beyond the edges is dangerous. The same is true at the edges of Truth. Sin is not far from Truth. It only takes a slight twist of Truth to turn it into a lie. If you want examples, look at Satan’s temptation of Jesus. Only slight tweaks of the Truth were made by Satan. These weren’t blatant falsehoods. They were subtle variations. Satan is not going to come to us with obvious falsehoods. He will come at us dressed as a fellow sheep, or as a shepherd. He will look helpful and caring, but in the end all he wants to do is devour us. As we see someone wandering, we have to be willing to intervene to keep them from going beyond the edges of Truth. This can be hard work. It takes a measure of personal risk. It takes humility. It takes a willingness to listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading. But, let’s bring them back.
The Arnold Journey 