Is There Room in the Kingdom for a Murderer?

                I met a man yesterday who has spent a large part of his life in prison.  At fifty-one he is just beginning to experience a life in the real world.  He has been a heroin addict most of his life.  Having been clean now for about a year and a half he is starting to come to terms with God.  In his younger days he and a partner started robbing drug dealers.  One of these robberies went bad and he ended up killing two of the dealers and kidnaping seven other people.  The judge told him that he showed no remorse.  His response was why should he for a couple of drug addicts.  The judge reminded him that he too was a drug addict.  Over his turbulent life he has been married five times and is now living alone.  He tells me that growing up he was pulled by two different religions, Nazarene and Pentecostal.  This left him confused about church.  He was left-handed and his mother, a clinical psychologist, sought to cure him of his left-handedness.  The institution she committed him to used strategies that broke him and forced him to become right-handed.  I really doubt that this had much to do with his troubled life, but I can assure you that it didn’t help.  His father has never given up on him.  A couple of years ago his dad found out that he had been homeless for over a year and a half.  He brought his son home, gave him a mobile home and small pick-up truck.  Shortly after this his father had a heart attack.  If it wasn’t for this son providing CPR he would be dead.  This young man tells me that he owes his life to his father.  I feel blessed that God has placed me in his life and I pray that I can have a redeeming effect on him.  At this point, he believes in God, but he wants nothing to do with church.  He finds that at times he is angry with God and he has no compunction in letting Him know that he is angry.  Can a man begin life at fifty-one?  I believe it can be done and I pray that it is this young man’s experience.  Redemption comes through the cross.  The same Messiah who gave Himself for me, gave Himself for this man.  God can and will use him to do powerful work in His kingdom if His Holy Spirit will enter his heart and bring acceptance of the salvation offered.  Do you believe this?  I do.