“On Being Human”
Third Sunday in Easter
April 14, 2024
1 John 3:1-7
Luke 24:36-48
Children’s Message:
Do you ever make mistakes? It happens to all of us. What we do with those mistakes can make all the difference in the world!
“Beautiful Oops” by Barney Saltzberg
So, around here, we practice imperfection. We want to do things well, but we know we’ll make mistakes. And so, we do our best to make beautiful things from them instead.
Let’s pray. Dear God, you know all our mistakes. Even when we try really hard, we are not perfect. Make beauty from our imperfections, and help us show your grace to others. Amen.
Message:
County jails are the front door to mass incarceration. No one is incarcerated in a prison without first stepping into a county jail. A growing number of people are being locked up in the Lancaster County Jail, many for nonviolent offenses, while the County Attorney underutilizes community-based alternatives. This results in expensive, unnecessary costs to Lancaster County taxpayers, creates a crisis for the poor, overwhelmingly hits Black and Indigenous populations the hardest, and puts public safety at risk.
That is the problem statement for the issue of criminal justice from our Justice in Action research team. In the past year, we’ve strived to address that problem by focusing on pre-trial diversion opportunities. Pre-trial diversion means that instead of waiting in jail for trial, people are given the opportunity to get help and support in the community. If they succeed, their record of the arrest is eliminated. This is used primarily for people with mental illness and addiction, recognizing that people with such backgrounds may not have ever had the support needed for health in their lives.
What we’ve learned is that, in spite of referrals by defense attorneys, County Attorney Pat Condon is the ultimate gate-keeper to the diversion program. In March, nearly 20 clergy met with Mr. Condon to request his attention to the four restrictions that we felt were minimizing access to diversion in our county:
1. No prior felonies on record
2. No more than 2 misdemeanors in the past 10 years on record
3. Application to diversion made within 90 days of arrest
4. A fee required to participate in the diversion program
To our request to eliminate or lesson those restrictions, Mr. Condon said no on each. He said that he already uses discretion, looking at each referral on a case-by-case basis. But why can’t he use the same discretion without eliminating a vast amount of people who could succeed if given that chance? Research has shown that 80% of people who participate in pre-trial diversion do not recommit.
According to the county dashboard[1], while nearly 50% of all those currently in jail are non-Caucasian, that same demographic only comprises 32% of those entering pre-trial diversion programs. One young man—I don’t know his race—had been working at a local grocery store in an effort to help his family pay the bills. But they were still struggling. He began sneaking groceries out with him when he clocked off from work—cans of tuna, beef jerky. On the Fridays when he didn’t work the weekend, he’d take a rotisserie chicken home. What do you think was the problem? Hungry. He had a previous violation of driving a vehicle without updated registration, and so he was denied the opportunity for pre-trial diversion.
John’s first letter that we heard today seems harsh. Those who know Christ don’t sin. Those who sin clearly don’t know Christ. But life isn’t quite so hard-and-fast, is it? In the situation of the hungry young man, who sinned? Was it the man who stole the food? Yes. Was it possibly the landlord asking for too much rent? Maybe. Was it the employer who didn’t pay enough? Could be. Was it a society that profits from a deep economic divide? For sure. Was it unjust county policies and lawyers who chose not to use discretion for this young man? Yeah.
Does that mean that none of them know Christ? Of course not. John creates an impossible situation for us in his letter. Paul reminds us that no one is without Sin except for Jesus. That’s the capital S ‘Sin.’ And to be fair, when it comes to lower-case s ‘sins,’ the actions that stem from Sin, we Christians often can’t even agree on what counts.
Near the beginning of the letter, John says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and God’s word is not in us.” [emphasis added]
So, John already assumes that all have sin. But, as he says in chapter 2, he’s writing so that we do not sin. But if we do, Jesus is our advocate, redeeming the sins of the whole world. However, if we say we know Christ and refuse to obey his commandments, we make ourselves liars. In essence, John wants us to practice what we preach.
It’s awfully easy, then, to look at others and begin to point the finger. I do it. I’m sure you do, too. Look at them. They call themselves a Christian, but they don’t act like one. Do you? Do I? I hope we try, but I assure you that we fail. Often.
I appreciate Maya Angelou’s oft-quoted statement: “Do the best that you know. And when you know better, do better.” But I also appreciate Paul’s insistence that faith is a gift. Faith does not grow by sheer will. It is planted within us. We water it through study, worship, prayer, and faith-filled community. We can foster faith. We can practice good works and better behavior. But the complete transformation from humanity to perfection is God’s alone.
So we rest in our identity as children of God—created in the image of God—designed for good things. And we look forward to what we will become in the future, though we are not fully there, yet. And we abide in God’s love, and we get better at following Jesus’ command to love as he loved—through service and humility. Because love is the mark of a Jesus-follower—not perfection. It is relational. It is messy. It is imperfect. And it requires a LOT of practice.
It also means holding each other accountable to better behavior. Sometimes, that may look like a removal from society. Often, that may look like more support—an accountability that walks alongside a person through their own complicated lives. And it very well may mean asking our officials to do better, as well. Just like we will be doing at the Nehemiah Action Assembly on May 2.
People often fall on the trite saying: “I’m only human.” They think that being human is an excuse for being mean, selfish, fearful, and ignorant. But being human is not an excuse. It is an opportunity. I am human. I am loved and claimed by God. I am redeemed by Christ. I am spirit-breathed with the Holy Spirit. I am always in the process of transformation. I have the potential to live into the faith and life that is complete gift. And I am infinitely forgiven. I am free to be the person God has called me to be. I am because God is. And that is the most wonderful good news!
Pastor Tobi White
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church
Lincoln, NE
[1] https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/dff1b0084a284f6c92142d3a4f0b209f/page/Page/?views=Jail
