Imagine if we could hit pause on the mugshots, the harsh headlines, the labels and instead, see each person standing before the judge, behind the bars, or under the weight of a criminal record… as they once were: someone’s kid.
Not in a soft, dismissive way that erases harm — but in a deeply human way that remembers what we all forget: we’re all capable of getting it wrong.
If you’ve ever been around a toddler for five minutes, you know they’ll do exactly what you told them not to do.
They’ll test, fail, try again.
But with adults, we pretend this stops being true when they turn 18. We create a overly harsh system that punishes mistakes so intensely it traps people forever in the worst thing they’ve ever done.
But what if our justice system recognized what every parent does: messing up is part of being human.
So is learning, changing, trying again.
What if every mugshot came with a baby photo? What if our laws started with the common Christian concept that people can be made new?
Maybe our justice system would look less like a cage and more like a second chance.
…Get in loser, we’re going to church today. 😉
“Behold, I Make All Things New.”
I am the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of not one, but two pastors.
To say I know my way around The Bible would be an understatement.
With most conservative voters identifying as Christian, I would be out of my mind not to point out the very real disconnect some folks have between biblical teaching, and the way some voters think of people in prison.
For any Christian to sputter, “don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time” let me tell you this: you’re out of line and you need to get your butt back to the pew.
Because you clearly forgot these words:
NIV, Revelation 21:5
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'”
Revelation 21:5 should be more to you than a bumpster sticker. More than something you put on a mug and feel cute about.
These words are a command to see the world through the lens of redemption.
If you really believe in a God of second chances who can make all things new, why aren’t you speaking up against an incredibly flawed, utterly broken criminal justice system that intentionally destroys lives and makes it nearly impossible for people to be seen as new? Why are you the only one allowed to be forgiven for mistakes?
We say we believe in fresh starts, in grace, in people being more than their worst moments but our system brands people with labels like “felon” that stick for life.
We have Judges who claim to be Christian and then condemn people and play God with people’s lives.
May I also remind you Conservative voters that your president carries that label?
Remember that the God you worship washed feet, sat with outcasts, flipped tables over people robbing the poor, forgave thieves hanging beside him, and yet we’re ok with building policies that make it nearly impossible for those same people today to get a job, a home, or a seat at the table again?
I call bullshit; you need to get your head and your heart right.
Yeah, I just swore. I do it a lot. Get over it.
What Would Change?
What if sentencing, probation, reentry, and record expungement all began with one question:
“What does this person need to become new again?”
What if we invested as much in second chances as we do in building prisons?
What if we stopped seeing people as disposable once they’ve made a terrible choice?
What if we saw people as kids; still learning, still worthy, still human?
The Invitation
This isn’t just an idea for policymakers or churches; it’s for all of us.
The next time you hear about someone’s conviction, see the mainstream media plastering their mugshot everywhere, read some garbage clickbait headline, ask yourself:
Who was this person before that moment?
What might they still become?
What would justice look like if we truly believed they could be made new?
Further Reading:
- Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy
- Prison Fellowship
