Much Of The Bible Authored By Former Felons

Is this by accident, or does it demonstrate how the God of the
Bible is all about redemption and restoration?

The Torah, the first five holy books of the Hebrew Bible, are often referred to as the books of Moses, the lawgiver and liberator revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. Yet Moses was once clearly guilty of the capital murder of an Egyptian citizen, and according to the Bible account, lived in exile for forty years in order to escape prosecution.

King David is both the most prolific writer of the Psalms and the most beloved and respected of all of Israel's rulers. Yet he was once guilty of voyeurism, rape and of a conspiracy to cover up his misdeeds by arranging for the murder his victim's husband. His prayer of bitter lament and confession is one of the most well known and most quoted of all the Psalms.

The apostle Paul was once complicit in the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, then went on to engage in a terrorist operation bent on persecuting all who chose to become followers of the rabbi Jesus. He is described as "going from house, dragging off men and women and putting them into prison," before his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, where he was plotting to do more of the same. Yet nearly half of the 27 books of the New Testament are attributed to this dramatically transformed missionary.

Is all of this simply happenstance, or is it because the Bible, from cover to cover, is all about redemption? And is about demonstrating that whatever our past history, anyone can become reborn and lead a totally new and transformed life?

Here's a letter to the editor of the Daily News-Record I recently submitted:

One thing these prolific Bible authors, Lawgiver/Emancipator Moses, King/Psalmist David, and Apostle/Missionary Paul have in common is that each was guilty of one or more capital crimes that today could be deserving of imprisonment for life. 

Yet as people of faith we believe God is all about redemption rather than retribution for those who demonstrate genuine repentance. We believe wrongdoers, including ourselves, can be transformed from being the "worst of the worst” to becoming "the best of the best" by God's amazing grace and with the help of other good people. 

It was philosophers like Immanuel Kant who promoted the idea of retributive justice over the redemptive justice of Jesus and the prophets. And it is that rationalist, retributive mindset that still governs our policy toward those found guilty of crimes. 

Maybe our DOC should be renamed the Department of Punishment rather than the Department of Corrections.