A Fresh Perspective - 09/28/07

Christian writer Philip Yancey tells about a lively discussion he had with a small group in his church regarding Jeffrey Dahmer. Dahmer, you will remember, terrorized and murdered seventeen young men. He himself was murdered in prison by a fellow prisoner. After his death most news programs interviewed the relatives of his victims. Most of them regretted that his life ended too soon. They wanted him to suffer more for the things he had done. We can understand their feelings.

One network, however, aired an interview with Dahmer a few weeks before he was killed. He explained how he felt accountable to no one. He began with petty crimes, experimented with small acts of cruelty, and then just kept going, further and further. Nothing restrained him.

Then he told of his recent religious conversion. He had been baptized in prison and was spending all his time reading religious material given to him by a local Church of Christ minister. The chaplain confirmed that he was a different person.

Yancey says that his discussion group tended to divide between those who had watched only the news programs that focused on the families of his victims, and those that had also watched the interview with Dahmer. Those that saw only the interviews with the family members viewed him as a monster, and any reports of a jailhouse conversion they dismissed-out-of-hand. The anguish of the family members of the victims made a deep impression. One said, "Crimes that bad can never be forgiven." But those who had seen the interview with Dahmer were not so sure. They agreed that his crimes were horrific beyond belief, yet he had seemed contrite, even humble. The conversation turned to the question, "Is anyone ever beyond forgiveness?" Yancey says, "No one left that evening feeling entirely comfortable with the answers."

Does anyone ever go beyond the reach of God's grace? Is anyone ever beyond hope? If we believe that God's love is unconditional, then "no" - no one is ever beyond grace, no one is ever beyond the hope of redemption, in this life or the next.

It is true that one must choose the way of grace and forgiveness. And this involves deep and profound personal transformation. Many resist grace and its transformative power. But if God ever barred the way or shut the door of opportunity, then God's love would not be unconditional.

Perhaps, in time, all resistance will be "won over" and all persons will come to see and experience the redemptive possibilities of the unconditional love of God. Then, evil will be overcome, not through condemnation, but through salvation. It's the very best we can hope for.

Chuck Queen is Senior Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, Frankfort (www.ibcfrankfort.com); he welcomes your comments at cqueen@fewpb.net. Look for "A Fresh Perspective" every Friday.