under construction

This recent post from Gordon MacDonald clearly challenged and reminded me why building a community that takes time for people is part of what the church is called to be.

"Earlier this week I was driving a strange road. The traffic was the rush-hour kind, and I was late, as the song says, for a very important date.
The reason for my lateness was poor planning. I'd not allowed ample time for travel in an unfamiliar area. But rather than admit this, I expressed my impatience by blaming the poorly timed red lights, the drivers ahead who insisted on making left turns, and the frequent construction projects. Especially the construction projects.
I actually fantasized that someone had foreseen my coming and had mischievously assigned road workers to "mine" the road with endeavors such as pothole filling, sewer repair, and lane painting. I tell you, the blue police lights, the orange cones, and the jersey barriers were ubiquitous.
And then as I drove I became immersed (blessed art thou!) in a vision. I saw the many construction projects as if they were people whom I encounter in my pastoral pursuits. The church is full of people who are "under construction." Some are newly established in faith and lack knowledge of the Christian way. Some have sinned greatly and leave collateral damage all over the place. And some have failed to mature spiritually and spawn problems wherever they go. All, myself included: under construction.
And like my road experience, people-under-construction seem to force everyone else to slow down, even stop on occasion and lurch forward a car-length at a time.
In my "vision" I saw Jesus frequently delayed by Simon Peter and oft-foolish friends. I saw him stalled by religious professionals who didn't get what he was saying. And I saw him having to detour around folks in various towns where there was no faith.
So in this rush-hour vision of mine, I suddenly understood a bit more of his challenges. And there arose a fresh understanding as to why real rubber-meets-the-road ministry where people are challenged to walk more intimately with God is such a start and stop affair."