Lot did not start in Sodom. At first, he only moved near it.
Genesis tells us that Lot “pitched his tents near Sodom” (Genesis 13:12). By the time we meet him again, he is sitting at the gate of the city. He has moved from being close to actively belonging.
That progression feels familiar. It reminds me of Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join with mockers.
There is a progression from following (proximity) to standing with and then joining (participation).
Very few people wake up one morning and decide to lose themselves. It usually happens slowly.
We move closer. We adjust. We adapt. We get used to things.
We tell ourselves we can handle it.
Sometimes we can be in a place so long that it starts getting into us. Whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually. We get into patterns and pretty soon don’t realize how sucked in we are.
Lot seems troubled by Sodom, but also tangled in it. He knows something is wrong, but he has built a life there. He hesitates when it is time to leave. The angels have to take him by the hand.
That detail is full of mercy.
God does not only rescue people who are already running in the right direction. Sometimes he grabs the hand of people who are stuck, compromised, confused, and slow to move.
That gives me hope.
Because if I am honest, there are places in me where Sodom still gets inside. Places where I have grown too comfortable with what should grieve me. Places where I have learned to tolerate what God wants to heal.
But mercy still comes.
And when it does, the question is not whether I have been flawless.
The question is whether I will let God lead me out.