Embracing Second Chances: A Call to Action
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For a few moments today, I want to share from the subject of Second Chances. Second Chances. In honor of Second Chance Sunday that we've talked about, the statistics indicate that one in three Americans have a criminal record that limits their access to education, jobs, housing, and other resources that they and their family have to face. [00:00:38] (25 seconds)
He literally says, I want you to, I want you to, to, um, I want you to be empathetic. I want you to understand. I want you to have a value. See them. He invites us like Christ who came in human flesh to die for our sins, to replicate this incarnational ministry as a model how to love and serve those. The same way that Christ ministered to us, he's saying to us, consider the needs of those that are in prison. [00:05:01] (28 seconds)
The problem of mass incarceration is that companies are running prisons like businesses. The whole goal of making a profit. The problem of mass incarceration is that when we track the higher rates of poverty and the poorest performing schools, we'll understand there's a direct connection there. And so it is, the problem of mass incarceration is that in a state like Texas, spending on prisons and jails is the highest in jails is the highest in the nation and has grown five times the rate of what's spent on education. [00:07:13] (40 seconds)
What would you do if the only thing you were known for was by the worst thing you had ever done? Those firmly incarcerated are permanently labeled ex-offenders because of the crimes they've committed. But the truth of the matter is that we all have a rap sheet. We all have a record. Romans 3 and 23 says, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. You just didn't get caught. [00:08:41] (31 seconds)
You can't go to prison without going through trauma of some type. The abuse, the violence, when they arrest you and they put you in a car and then they lock you in a cell and tell you what to eat and tell you when to sleep and tell you this and tell you that, the trauma trauma is designed to dehumanize a person. [00:10:14] (20 seconds)
One out of every nine black children have an incarcerated parent. Which means that in every classroom, there are probably at least two or three children who has a parent who is incarcerated. And when that parent is incarcerated, it impacts that child in that home in multiple ways. [00:12:34] (19 seconds)
So somebody has to ask the question, what's the path forward? I want to share with you for the rest of my time some practical ways in which we can remember those that are in prison. Here's the first one. Number one, we got to be aware. We must stay aware that the issue of mass incarceration and the need for criminal justice reform is a massively important issue. We must understand that we, just because a few people have arrived, it does not mean that our community has not been deeply, deeply impacted by the issue of mass incarceration. [00:13:58] (35 seconds)
Every single one of us can do something. You can do something by serving on juries. You can do something by watching who you vote for. You can do something by getting involved in the system. Some of you in the room that I've talked to, there are people in the room that are attorneys and lawyers and that are judges and state legislators and Senator West and others that have gotten involved in the system because you want to bring change to the system. [00:16:36] (29 seconds)
The church is a place that when we find God, we can overcome whatever challenges and issues that we've had. And not only can we be redeemed, but when God gets done with you, he wants to use you to redeem somebody else. That the church is full of wounded healers. [00:22:12] (22 seconds)
God has called us to be involved in this important work. And we ought to be involved in prevention. That's what youth and children's ministry is. Every time we minister to a young person, every time a person comes to Christ, every time a person learns who God is and falls in love, we are preventing them from choosing to try to find their identity by blending in with the wrong crowd when they can know, no, you don't need that crowd. You've got Jesus. [00:23:52] (28 seconds)
All of us in this room can play a role. But may God use each of us to be able to make a difference one day at a time. Now, this is not easy, but step by step, moment by moment, we can continue to rebuild and regain the ground that Satan has tried to take away from us. [00:26:52] (20 seconds)
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He literally says, I want you to, I want you to, to, um, I want you to be empathetic. I want you to understand. I want you to have a value. See them. He invites us like Christ who came in human flesh to die for our sins, to replicate this incarnational ministry as a model how to love and serve those. The same way that Christ ministered to us, he's saying to us, consider the needs of those that are in prison. [00:05:01] (28 seconds)
The problem of mass incarceration is that companies are running prisons like businesses. The whole goal of making a profit. The problem of mass incarceration is that when we track the higher rates of poverty and the poorest performing schools, we'll understand there's a direct connection there. And so it is, the problem of mass incarceration is that in a state like Texas, spending on prisons and jails is the highest in jails is the highest in the nation and has grown five times the rate of what's spent on education. [00:07:13] (40 seconds)
What would you do if the only thing you were known for was by the worst thing you had ever done? Those firmly incarcerated are permanently labeled ex-offenders because of the crimes they've committed. But the truth of the matter is that we all have a rap sheet. We all have a record. Romans 3 and 23 says, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. You just didn't get caught. [00:08:41] (31 seconds)
You can't go to prison without going through trauma of some type. The abuse, the violence, when they arrest you and they put you in a car and then they lock you in a cell and tell you what to eat and tell you when to sleep and tell you this and tell you that, the trauma trauma is designed to dehumanize a person. [00:10:14] (20 seconds)
One out of every nine black children have an incarcerated parent. Which means that in every classroom, there are probably at least two or three children who has a parent who is incarcerated. And when that parent is incarcerated, it impacts that child in that home in multiple ways. [00:12:34] (19 seconds)
So somebody has to ask the question, what's the path forward? I want to share with you for the rest of my time some practical ways in which we can remember those that are in prison. Here's the first one. Number one, we got to be aware. We must stay aware that the issue of mass incarceration and the need for criminal justice reform is a massively important issue. We must understand that we, just because a few people have arrived, it does not mean that our community has not been deeply, deeply impacted by the issue of mass incarceration. [00:13:58] (35 seconds)
Every single one of us can do something. You can do something by serving on juries. You can do something by watching who you vote for. You can do something by getting involved in the system. Some of you in the room that I've talked to, there are people in the room that are attorneys and lawyers and that are judges and state legislators and Senator West and others that have gotten involved in the system because you want to bring change to the system. [00:16:36] (29 seconds)
The church is a place that when we find God, we can overcome whatever challenges and issues that we've had. And not only can we be redeemed, but when God gets done with you, he wants to use you to redeem somebody else. That the church is full of wounded healers. [00:22:12] (22 seconds)
God has called us to be involved in this important work. And we ought to be involved in prevention. That's what youth and children's ministry is. Every time we minister to a young person, every time a person comes to Christ, every time a person learns who God is and falls in love, we are preventing them from choosing to try to find their identity by blending in with the wrong crowd when they can know, no, you don't need that crowd. You've got Jesus. [00:23:52] (28 seconds)
All of us in this room can play a role. But may God use each of us to be able to make a difference one day at a time. Now, this is not easy, but step by step, moment by moment, we can continue to rebuild and regain the ground that Satan has tried to take away from us. [00:26:52] (20 seconds)
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