Over the course of my years at Harvest, many parishioners have left the church. Because we are a young congregation made primarily of professionals, the group tends to be highly mobile and transient. Many have left because their work led them to different cities.
But not all who left were called away because of work. More than a few left disgruntled, disillusioned, and disconnected. They left because somewhere, somehow, someone stopped paying attention and they slipped away. Sometimes they made a lot of noise as they left, but by the time we could hear them, the damage had already been done.
Like Ahmed in this chapter, I lose a lot of sleep over the ones we lost due to our own negligence. It's strange that my last waking thoughts so often drift to these folks. It's important for me to remember the ones that got away, because it reminds me to be more attentive and vigilant today.
I've tried in the past to track down those who left under less-than-ideal circumstances. Many have rebuffed my attempts to reconnect. That's always very painful. God, grant me the heart of a true shepherd. Help me to be watchful and not to lose any more.
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