{"id":963,"date":"2015-03-04T16:13:18","date_gmt":"2015-03-04T22:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/advocacy\/?p=963"},"modified":"2015-12-03T14:33:05","modified_gmt":"2015-12-03T20:33:05","slug":"lenten-reflection-the-penitent-thief-and-second-chances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/advocacy\/lenten-reflection-the-penitent-thief-and-second-chances\/","title":{"rendered":"Lenten Reflection: The penitent thief and second chances"},"content":{"rendered":"

John B. Johnson, Program Director, Domestic Policy<\/p>\n

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Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. <\/em>When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus<\/em> there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.\u2014One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding<\/em> him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah?<\/em> Save yourself and us!” <\/em>But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? <\/em>And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” <\/em>Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into<\/em> your kingdom.” <\/em>He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” <\/em>(Luke 23 32; 39-43)<\/p>\n

\"blogThe penitent thief and second chances<\/strong><\/p>\n

Luke’s account of the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross with two other “criminals” intrigues me.\u00a0 When I read this Gospel, I find myself wondering about the man who made it to paradise with Jesus that day.\u00a0 Because of his penitence and faith, Jesus gives him a second chance for redemption and for paradise.<\/p>\n

I think two of the most important sentences in the English language are I’m sorry <\/em>and thank you.<\/em>Lent is a time of penitence and forgiveness.\u00a0 The penitent thief’s story is, for me, one of the all-time best “second chances.”\u00a0 I like second chances\u2014and throughout my career, I certainly have needed them.\u00a0 Second chances are part of our national character in everything from bankruptcy for businesses or individuals, to youth who make mistakes and find themselves in the juvenile justice system.\u00a0 Individually or as a society, offering a second chance is a Gospel value.<\/p>\n

One of my heroes\u2014who I had the pleasure of meeting in person (and I even bought him a Coca-Cola)\u2014is former Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who said<\/a>, “No one is beyond redemption.” Forgiveness is more for us than it is for the one who may sin against us.<\/p>\n

The opportunity to serve the ELCA in our Washington, DC Advocacy Office as the Program Director of Domestic Policy feels like a second chance for me because I served in a similar capacity with the Episcopal Church some years ago.\u00a0 I left that job for new opportunities and experiences that were both wonderful, challenging and no-so-great.\u00a0 What those experiences taught me, however, was that I was “operating outside of my call.” Getting back to faith-based advocacy is a great blessing for me and I love that I have an opportunity to bring second chances into my professional work.<\/p>\n

Second Chance Reauthorization Act and Smarter Sentencing Act<\/strong><\/p>\n

Criminal justice reform is becoming a passion of mine in large measure because of my faith in redemption and second chances.\u00a0 In the last Congress, several promising bi-partisan bills were introduced that would reduce the US prison population, reduce mandatory minimum requirements for non-violent drug offences and improve reentry services to reduce recidivism for the formerly incarcerated.\u00a0 The Second Chance Reauthorization Act<\/a> and the Smarter Sentencing Act<\/a> are two key opportunities to reform our criminal justice system in the US.<\/p>\n