For a long time I was confused about the difference between vandalism and graffiti. I still think some graffiti is just vandalism, but not all of it is. I could not tell them apart because I was a vandal. There were always homes being built near us and I would sometimes sneak into them and break shit. There’s no good reason for this.
I did not look much like a vandal. I looked pretty much like a normal, kind of geeky kid. So when the site supervisor asked me one day to keep my eye out for kids who might be vandalizing the houses, I said “yes sir, sure will!” and I got the hell out of there as fast as my hand-me-down bike would carry me.
Which makes me wonder why the woman whom Jesus saved from stoning didn’t just get the hell out of there too. I don’t think it was because she lacked a hand-me-down bike, nor do I think she was going to deny the charges. I think she was done screwing around. (Literally. She’d been caught in the act of adultery.) To no one’s great surprise, Jesus forgives her. But she had to be there for it to happen. She had to be willing.