And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurableriches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
This is the kind of passage that echoes in my mind when I hear stories like the Supreme Court taking up the issue of life without parole for minors. The argument is that young people are less culpable for their crimes and so should not face a lifetime in prison because of crimes they committed while young (especially if no one was killed). Their crimes are terrible. What role can and should the courts and prisons play in changing these young mens' lives and in protecting the rest of society? (Here's the link to an article about this case.)
The question also comes up when I hear other news stories about the death penalty or adults being committed to life without parole. Then I hear about sex offenders who, because of "no-go" zones around schools, etc. live in a shantytown under a Miami Bridge. Where is the line at which we get to decide who is beyond the capacity for real change? How should we treat people who have committed what we call "unthinkable" crimes?
Paul's letter to the Ephesians, among many other Bible passages, make it quite clear that apart from God's grace, there is nothing to keep me from being worse than the most frightening of these criminals, impossible to restrain apart from putting me to death! Paul even uses this imagery when he says, "You were dead in your transgressions and sins." In my previous state, I might as well have been dead. Except that, by granting to me life, God preserved me for the day he would penetrate my pride with the Good News of his Son dying and rising from the dead to pay for my sins and bring me to close relationship with him.
So, I can never accept saying that any person (call him a criminal, monster, or worse) is beyond the possibility of changing into a Saint in the Biblical or common senses of the word. The miracle of God's re-creation in a new Christian's heart is no less amazing applied to me than to any one else.
Do I think, then, that rehabilitation should be the primary goal of the prison system? I'd love to say so. What brings about real change? Is it a good prison administrator who, through careful programming and humane treatment, softens a hardened criminal's heart so he sees the error of his ways and tearfully commits to a new way of life?
God is the one who is "rich in mercy" and who also has the ability to make us alive, to raise us up, to save us through faith that is even a gift itself. Of the many actions described in this passage, all the actions making us "bad" our ours. But the actions making us "good" are God's! Nowhere in the Bible does one person just decide to start acting better, nor does anyone influence another person to change his life through inspirational acts of kindness. Rather, it is God who takes us who are so dead as to be like dry bones and makes us come alive! (Ezekiel 37.1-14)
So where does that leave our prison system? Are we capable of the "rehabilitation" that is often the stated goal of the correctional system? Or can we only hope for using imprisonment punitively, as a deterrent to former or potential criminals? The answer is critical, because it determines what we think should be done about teens being locked away forever, homeless sex offenders, and the death penalty. And there's no clear answer from Scripture, that I can see, though various passages can be selected out to defend either position.
It seems what is clear is that Christians need to pay more attention to prisons and prisoners. We celebrate that Jesus has released us from the prison of our sins by paying the legally demanded penalty for our sins on the cross. The reality of our sin and God's pardoning work for us should surely humble us. There is no room for proud fear of prisons and prisoners in light of where we came from. But it also seems to me that helping prisoners as Jesus says is right (Matthew 25.31-46) is harder for us than helping the widows and orphans.
Most importantly, how can those in prison be changed truly, beyond a superficial "rehabilitation," unless someone preaches the Good News of God's saving and transforming grace to them? (Romans 10.14) This is an area of ministry it seems the church is weak in today. I know it's a category I shrink from. I must be changed!
God, kill the pride and fear that keep me from helping those who need to be helped. Your people are to show your love that did not allow our sins to remain as a barrier between us and you, but sacrificed your only Son, Jesus, to bring us into your household. Turn me from conforming to the world in what it considers scary and off limits, and transform me to show your love without fear.
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