Davian Navar Henry Only, 15, has had a rough life. According to news reports, he was born in prison, placed in foster care and while searching for his mother, discovered she had died a few weeks earlier. Davian dressed in a suit, borrowed a tie and walked into the St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. He said to the congregation, “I’ll take anyone. Old or young, dad or mom, black, white, purple. I don’t care. And I would be really appreciative. The best I could be.” The church has been deluged with offers to adopt him. At the time of this writing, a permanent home has not yet been determined, but the church and Only’s adoption agency are optimistic. This is a wonderful story about a young man’s optimism. It is also a story about the church. In spite of the many failings of the church, in spite of the criticism it receives, it is still a place people can go to find love.
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