I really would like to know what Jesus wrote in the dirt when He was defending the woman caught in the act of adultery. What could He have possibly written that would cause all those indignant religious leaders to drop their stones and walk away? Did He call out each one and name their individual sins? And where was the other party complicit in the adultery? Was He one of the accusers?

I know for certain that Jesus told the woman two things: 1) Neither do I condemn you and 2) go and sin no more. Jesus forgave the woman but didn’t give her a free pass to keep sinning. But I believe in that moment, He restored her dignity and gave her the power to choose a different way. She was no longer a prisoner of her past and her previous choices.

God is with us to free us from our shame. He is with us from birth through death (and not ending with death) to eternity. He knows what we are made of and He knows how frail and weak we are. He can handle our dirt, but He won’t let us stay dirty. He can handle our brokenness, but He is making us whole. Yes, He knows our sin but He calls us by our name and makes us new.