Cal Thomas - Easter’s message of redemption

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Thursday, April 7th . Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Myrna Brown.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

The second episode of Lawless drops today! If you haven’t subscribed to the Lawless feed, you can do that wherever you get your podcasts—whether it’s Apple or Spotify or any number of other platforms. We do plan to post each episode on The World and Everything in It feed on Saturdays. But why wait? And one other thing, we are planning some bonus content during the season available only on the Lawless feed. It’s really just a couple of clicks on your device and you’re set. So subscribe to Lawless today—our true crime podcast—and catch the next installment of this riveting story, the Schiavo case. Episode two today.

BROWN: Do not miss it!

Up next: Cal Thomas with some thoughts on grace.

CAL THOMAS, COMMENTATOR: Actor Denzel Washington has done something increasingly rare these days. He sought redemption for someone who’d made a serious mistake.

I am, of course, talking about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the Academy Awards ceremony. After the incident, Washington and actor/director Tyler Perry reportedly put their arms around Smith and prayed with him during a commercial break.

Why? During an interview, Washington said, “But for the grace of God go any of us. Who are we to condemn?”

It appeared that most of the rest of Hollywood, after first giving Smith a standing ovation when he won “Best Actor” for his role in the film “King Richard,” quickly turned on him and condemned his behavior. Smith apologized to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and later apologized to Rock. But the Academy is contemplating disciplinary action against Smith. They should follow Denzel Washington’s example instead.

The goal should be redemption. Is that best accomplished by increasing levels of humiliation and condemnation, or reaching out to help him as Washington and Perry did?

Condemnation seems to be the norm in our politics and culture these days, but it never produces lasting change. Instead, it has the effect of hardening hearts, both of the one who condemns and the one on the receiving end.

Some examples that have caused the world to pause and consider a better way.

The first happened in 2007 in an Amish community in Nickle Mines, Pennsylvania. A man shot 10 young girls in a school room, killing five and then himself. The community offered the man forgiveness and donated money to his widow and her three young children.

The second was when Pope John Paul II forgave Mahmet Ali Aqca, who stabbed and nearly killed him in 2008.

The third was in 2014 when white supremacist Dylann Roof murdered nine people during a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Roof was convicted and sentenced to death. But survivors and relatives of the victims extended grace and forgiveness to him, his wife and his children, shocking the nation.

The fourth was a model on which the others might have been based. It’s recorded in the eighth chapter of the Book of John. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were trying to trap Jesus by bringing to him a “woman caught in adultery.” They said the law of Moses required such a woman to be stoned to death. Jesus replied, “Let those without sin cast the first stone.” After all silently walked away, Jesus said to the woman: “Does no one condemn you?” She replied, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”

Jesus didn’t justify her sin. But he offered her grace over condemnation and urged her to change her behavior.

As Easter approaches, Christians have an opportunity to practice and preach that grace and redemption offered on the cross. It’s as radical today as it was two thousand years ago. And it’s still the only thing the world really needs.

I’m Cal Thomas.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.