A wonderful opportunity came about for me to return to college when I was in my forties. One of my first-semester campus jobs was the humble position of cafeteria dishwasher. One day, my brother came from out of town for a surprise visit and found me at work. We hugged and agreed to meet outside when my shift ended. Observing the hug, my supervisor asked me if that was my father. I answered that no, that was my brother. She looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. She had assumed I was in my late teens or early twenties like the other students who worked there. 

It was a minor incident, but it illustrated for me how quickly our perceptions change when we see what’s true. And transformation comes through realizing what is spiritually true about every person as God’s child. 

Most people enjoy a good story of character transformation—whether in a movie, in a book, or, better yet, in their own lives. But how does transformation happen?