Skip to main content

The verses that stand out for me are from Luke

My Bible: reasons to believe in the power of the Bible

‘The verses that stand out for me are from Luke 23.39-43. Jesus is being crucified and on his right hand is a thief and on his left hand is a thief. They are often called the good thief and the bad thief.

The good thief says to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom”. Jesus replies, “This day you will be with me in paradise.” That’s an extremely powerful message.

I became Chief Probation Officer in Hampshire in 1985. I spent my life dealing with those who are on the margins of acceptability: burglars, paedophiles, murderers, people who have committed petty crime.

I found it a rich irony that the only person in the religious world who is granted a place in heaven, by Jesus, is a thief. This tells me that we are all redeemable, no matter how bad the crime and how bad the consequences.

The message to me from this is that you never give up on anyone. It doesn’t mean that everyone is treatable or immediately redeemable. There are dangerous personalities around. There are some people who need to be detained. We should feel secure from them. But some long-term prisoners do improve. I have known long-term prisoners do extremely well.’

Do you have a story to share? Email [email protected]


More Stories

I went through a period in the pandemic of quite poor mental health

I went through a period in the pandemic of quite poor mental health. I had previously been diagnosed with OCD and general anxiety. They were well-managed, but in the job I was in and with things at home, I became quite poorly...

Yesterday, I became aware that I wasn’t really trusting God and his promises

Yesterday, I became aware that I wasn’t really trusting God and his promises. It’s the everyday things that preoccupy me: financial worries, an elderly mother.

I was raised a non-believing family

I was raised a non-believing family. We scoffed at the idea of there being a God when it was brought up at the CofE primary school I attended.

The Bible has always been important for me

The Bible has always been important for me, and I realised that when I was young. Proverbs 3.5–6 is the ethos of my life

I’m a retired dentist, and about 30 years ago I was involved in a project in Romania

I’m a retired dentist, and about 30 years ago I was involved in a project in Romania, to provide dental care for Romanian orphans and support the local health services. It was a special time. There was so much potential...

The passage that has kept coming up and up in my life is from Psalm 18

‘The passage that has kept coming up and up in my life is from Psalm 18, “He’s my rock, he’s my fortress, he’s my deliverer, in him will I trust”.

Want to share how the Bible has impacted your life? Email [email protected]

Read the Bible icon Read the Bible
Open the full Bible