Louise McEvoy, Sunday School Teacher, Bible Study Facilitator

 

James 5:19-20 (THE VOICE)

19 Brothers and sisters, if someone you know loses his way and rebels against God, pursue him in love and bring him back to the truth. 20 Know this: If you turn a sinner back from the error of his ways, then you will rescue him from the grips of death and cover the pain and consequences of untold sins.

Reflection

Society has been fascinated with criminal minds and behavior for decades. Billy the Kid. Al Capone. Hannibal Lecter. Raymond Reddington. Darth Vader. The fascination, though, comes with a fear and othering of these infamous criminals. 

When I facilitate or teach a Bible lesson, I try to challenge my classmates with thought provoking questions. One of the hardest questions I ask is, “Are the inmates on death row beloved children of God?” Hard pause. I probe further and ask, “Will they also receive the same grace and forgiveness that is poured out for us?” Of course, the answer is, “Yes.” Why are these questions so hard? Maybe it’s because society has created a stigma of Us vs. Them. Here is my confession and my contribution to the stigma: “I have not committed a crime. Sure, I sin every now and then, but I have not been sentenced to prison. My sins are not that severe. I did not get caught. I am good. They are bad.” My law school mind reminds me that prosecuted crimes are not only against the victim, but in our penal code system, they are crimes against the community. Again, Us vs. Them.

 

In today’s passage, James tells us that we are to “pursue (one who loses his way) in love and bring him back to the truth… you will rescue him from the grips of death and cover the pain and consequences of untold sins.” Jesus does not see Us vs. Them. He sees lost sheep. He sees the one who has strayed. He sees one of His family members making poor choices. And He loves them just the same. They, too, even after all their past mistakes, still have Kingdom work to do like us. The men and women who are in the prison system need help to find their way and be brought back into society. This is exactly what Jesus did the last three years of his life. Not only did he show his compassion to the sick, the outsiders, the broken, but he also completely healed and allowed those individuals to be fully restored back into their communities. The power of his grace is so amazing and life-giving.

 

At this point, I need to give a shout out to the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP). This program “is designed to bring positive, transformative changes to the students, their families and communities.” The PEP vision makes my heart full – “to expand our community of accountability and encouragement until every inmate who is truly committed to change has the choice and the chance to reboot his life. We strive to empower our men to move from being tax consumers to taxpayers, from gang leaders to servant leaders, and from felons to real fathers and even philanthropists.” Successful graduates of the program not only return but also thrive in society. To find out more about PEP, visit pep.org.

 

The holidays are almost here, and we invite you to join us in our partnership with PEP and the Tree of Angels project. It is a great way for the St. Luke’s family to serve with our time, resources, and gift-wrapping talents. This year’s Tree of Angels program will start in a few weeks so be on the lookout for details coming soon!

 

We have lost souls all around us. We all know someone who may not be in the prison system but needs someone to redirect them back to Jesus. Who needs support in your life right now? Pray for them. Invite them to church. Have coffee with them. 

  

Prayer 

God of Redemption,

I pray that I can see the world through your loving eyes. Help me to see people who have offended me and the community as your sons and daughters even if the wounds still sting. Empower me to show mercy and forgiveness as I help guide people back to you. In Jesus’ powerful name we pray. Amen.