Today I meditate on the beauty of grace. Of second (and third) chances.
I met a man named Pete today. Pete founded a company called Second Chance Coffee in Wheaton, IL. And it's not the coffee that needs a second chance--believe me, it's high quality. No, the "second chance" in the name refers to his employees. Pete hires, through a selective referral process, post-prison men and women to roast, package, sell and deliver his coffee.
The coffee has been branded "I Have a Bean". Without it, there would be seven more formerly incarcerated individuals trying to get back on their feet and reintegrate into productive society--and being barred at every turn.
The term "felon" probably evokes an image in your mind of a big, scary guy with tattoos and a scowl who is out to hurt you and your family--over and over again--unless we stop him by casting him out from our community.
But what if there were more to the story? What if this man, tattoos and all, made a mistake and had many valuable skills and a great personality?
In our society, certain mistakes carry longer-lasting consequences than others. I agree--obviously there are degrees to which people can get hurt, and there are corresponding degrees to which "offenders" need to be held responsible and make amends.
What I don't understand is why certain mistakes carry life-long sentences. Is there any mistake that one person should have to suffer with for the rest of their lives?
This is only the tip of the iceberg of this discussion. I know that. I'm not looking to spark any heated debates. I just want to introduce this unique organization as a model of grace and say that I think grace is absolutely beautiful.
I have made so many mistakes in life, some that have hurt others and some that have hurt only me. I depend on second, third, fourth (and on and on) chances all the time. I can't imagine trying to live my life if I had no access to those chances.
Check out www.ihaveabean.com and see how beautiful (and practical) redemption can actually be. And take a minute to meditate on the chances you have been given.
I love this idea - there was a similiar place in Fort Collins at one time - and they served those people free coffee when they could. Very good to see Hearts at work!
ReplyDeleteI just spent an hour responding to this and lost it before publish but I think its worth being late for work (yet again). I'm counting on some grace from my boss.
ReplyDeleteGrace, what more complete expression of love could there be? If everyone understood that this 6000 year old story (or whatever the correct age is) is the simple, profound, and powerful lesson that the Creator gave us is a gift allowing us to be what we already are in Christ, this world would live up to the potential of its creation. If we understood it (grace) we could forgive others for the pain they have inflicted on us, and equally importantly, forgive ourselves for the pain we've inflicted on others.
A colleague once said "There isn't enough grace in the world." It stuck in my head, only to bloom 20 years later. I think he meant that we don't share it enough. Grace abounds, thanks to perfect sacrifice but appreciating it, understanding its power, and putting it into practice is difficult. We say "practice makes perfect" and it is possible if only we believe and are willing to make the sacrifice of turning our wills over to the care of God. There is nothing more gratifying to God than seeing the grace we give turn mistakes and missteps into glory.