Expunged

Imagine for a moment that you have done a lot of things wrong in your life. 

Now imagine that there is a way for you to erase all the bad and start fresh with a clean slate.  Would you be interested?

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. - James 5:20

In today's reading from the letter from James, he tells us we can redeem ourselves by saving others.

There is a process in the law where a crime committed in the past can be sealed so the records of it cannot be found.  It doesn't mean that it didn't happen.  Instead, it disappears from the records, as though it didn't happen.

The person who did it knows, and all who were involved know it happened, but anyone else looking for a criminal record would not find one.

The record has been expunged.

Now what James is saying is something like that, but on a grand scale.  A multitude of sins can be expunged if we help bring someone back from wandering.

Who wouldn't want to do that?

But I guess it could be annoying in a way.  If someone I know to have a checkered past tries to lecture me about my misdeeds, how would I react?

I think it depends. 

I have seen many examples of men who have been in prison mentoring others to keep them from following the same path.

I have been told that process is cathartic.  It makes the mentor feel good, not about what he has done in the past, but about what he has done with what he has done.

What we choose to do with our lives is up to us, and God knows we all make mistakes.

But if we can learn from them and help others to step off the path that leads to where we have been, that has to be a good thing for all.

So, the question is, can we accept those who do as James says, or will we have trouble expunging the past?

More to come...