From the Prayer Journal of Fr. Jack Tolley

Many years ago, I was a hospital chaplain at  St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in San Francisco. 
There was a street preacher often outside of the hospital. He would call me a sinner and tell me loudly to repent.
​He was a very harsh and judgmental man. 
 
To repent means literally, "to come to your senses, and turn in a new direction." The word "sin" as used in the 15th chapter of Luke, comes from a Greek term meaning, "to miss the mark and not share in the prize." The prize is union with God, and one another,  which we do not need to earn. God's love is freely offered.  So when you read your Bible or run into people like my preacher friend, keep these definitions in mind, and be kind and gentle to yourself and others - just like Jesus is to you and me, loving and kind. 

Blessings, love, and hugs, 
Fr. Jack.
 
Source of this information: The Rev. J. Paris Coffee of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago.