It was the event of the year—maybe even the decade. Word spread fast and the crowds gathered. They cheered. Numbers hit record highs, with impressive all-age worship—with even the youngest present calling on the name of the Lord. Ah, what a youth ministry success! Jesus was exalted. His red carpet was made up of the coats off their backs. Their pom-poms were palm leaves. What an event! Certainly one for the annual report…but…

A pastor reached out to a teenage girl who’d reached the deepest pit of despair. She looked much older than she was—clearly the effects of substance abuse. Stripes marked her arms where she used a blade to mutilate her skin. Her pregnant belly swelled under her shirt. All of her relationships were in tatters.