Redemption Must Mean Something
Redemption Must Mean Something There is something that has been weighing heavily on my heart. Recently, I saw someone bring up a candidate's prison sentence from the 1990s. It caused me to pause—not because of one individual, but because it raised a much bigger question for all of us. What do we really believe about redemption? As a society, we have created a justice system that tells people they can pay their debt to society. We sentence people with the expectation that correction, accountability, rehabilitation, and ultimately restoration are possible. Yet when someone serves that sentence, changes their life, becomes productive, serves others, and demonstrates years—even decades—of growth, some are still determined to define them by the worst chapter of their lives. If that's the case, then what is the purpose of rehabilitation? Either we believe people can change, or we don't. If we truly believe in accountability, then we must also believe in forgiveness, g...