Sunday’s Coming

God doesn’t always do a gut rehab

I believe God can make us completely over, but I also believe that this is not always necessary.

For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page, which includes Watkins's current Living by the Word column as well as past magazine and blog content. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.

I love the show Rehab Addict. Nicole Curtis, the show’s host, is a contractor who specializes in restoring old homes—typically about 100 years old, sometimes significantly older. They are always in terrible, terrible shape.

The things she does to these houses are astounding. She somehow transforms terrifying hovels of lead paint, rusty sinks, sinking floors, and kitchen counters you’d be afraid to touch with your shoe into beautiful homes you’d feel proud to live in—instead of feeling horrified and litigious, which is how I feel looking at the “before” images.