There are some things that once they are said, are hard to get over. In my role as pastor, I've been to court rooms on several occasions. I've often been to jail. I'm always struck with the power and finality of words given from the "bench." When the judge says, "I sentence you . . ." she/he speaks as the representative of civilization. "You have done something that we cannot allow in our community. I'm doing what I'm doing because your actions have harmed others. We cannot allow such things to go on without consequences--severe consequences."
Usually, unless there is a need for some other hearing, the judge and the person sentenced never meet again. In fact, we provide judges with protection because we know that if the two do meet it could be ugly. 
Let me ask you, "Does this picture look ugly?"
Wallace, a retired US military technician, is an incredibly kind man who is a member of the same small-group as Kathy and me. The group is a ministry of our church and meets at the home of some friends. Susan is another member of the small-group. She is a judge. Wallace taught the lesson in our last two small group meetings. We are going throughBecoming a Contagious Christian, and Wallace took two weeks to teach the lesson on "telling my story." As part of the presentation, he told his story. You wouldn't believe how often people who know Wallace say, "He must have the gift of helps." He constantly goes out of his way to reach out to others with acts of kindness. He regularly brings ice cream treats to our meetings. He says it's because he can get a good deal on them at the military commissary, but we all know that's not the only reason. One would never know, by seeing Wallace today, that his past includes time in jail. As he told his story the other night, he told us a bit about that part of his life. Then, looking at Susan, he said you were the judge who sentenced me to that time in jail. His statement was without the least hint of bitterness or anger. Rather, he went on to speak of how during that time in jail he met others who discipled him and helped him to move forward in his walk with the Lord.
Susan replied, "When I first met you at church I thought I remembered your name." Until that moment in small-group, though, she had never put it all together.
So here was a man sentenced to serve time for a crime of which he had been convicted, teaching a lesson about the Good News that changes people's hearts and lives, and he was teaching it to the judge who had sentenced him to spend time in jail. What an illustration of the power of the Good News of salvation in Christ. It not only enables us to be right with God--"The wages (consequences) of sin is death (separation from God), but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23)--but beyond that, this same Good News brings people together. Even people who would otherwise be enemies become brothers and sisters in Christ.
We live in a world that is divided by nationality, politics, class, skin color, race, and more. God's plan is not only to save us as atomized individuals, but in the person of "Christ Jesus . . . to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds" (Titus2:13–14, emphasis added). Not many people--former prisoners, judges, black, white, brown, rich, poor, etc. but one people united under the flag of the new life we have in Christ and marching forth to do good deeds in His name.
The ice cream at small-group was good, but hearing the story about Susan and Wallace was worth well more than the price of admission.
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