Ewwwwwww... gross story. And yet there but by the grace of God go I! My past without Jesus is nothing to be proud of either. None of us have anything to boast about of ourselves.
I totally get what Gandhi was saying, though. Remember how robbers, harlots, fortune tellers, dishonest tax collectors, and the like thronged around Jesus, ate meals with him, followed him all over the place asking questions about how to enter the kingdom of God. They knew Jesus could offer them light and life.
Too many religious fanatics today like to spout the Bible, put down sinners, preach about obedience, point folks' weaknesses out and bang them over the head with lots of scripture. But how many Christians do you know who have robbers, dishonest politicians, prostitutes, drunks, occultists, etc. following them around wanting to know how to enter the kingdom of God?
Actually, I kept following this poor blind girl in my neighborhood around like that years back for the same reason. I knew she knew the Lord. That's how I came to Jesus, through her.