Change of Heart

This is a beautiful, heart-felt and heartbreaking true story. In trying to come to terms with her sister and brother-in-law's murder, Jeanne Bishop discovers that the capture and life sentencing of their killer doesn't bring the peace she thought it would. She begins to feel God calling her to action. The specific act - forgiveness and reconciliation with her sister's killer.

Many people will have a problem with her decision to follow through on what she believes God is calling her to do - forgive the young man who brutally murdered her sister, brother-in-law, and their unborn child. Basing her decision on what she knows of scripture and, specifically, of Jesus, Jeanne finds a way to promote justice AND mercy, following Christ's example.

At times, heart-wrenching, this remarkable story of forgiveness and healing really made an impact on me. I hope that it will help others, who may find themselves is similar situations, to act in a godly and Christ emulating way. Beautifully done!

When I saw the name of this book, Change of Heart: Justice, Mercy, and Making Peace with My Sister's Killer, by Jeanne Bishop, I knew it was something I wanted to read. At that time, I had no idea that the book was actually something that God wanted me to read and was leading to read.

When I read this book, I had no expectations. The story is devastating but well written, and while I couldn't even begin to imagine being in Bishop's shoes, I was very grateful that I wasn't. Throughout her journey, Bishop shows God's love in a very powerful and insightful way. I love the way the Bible verses are woven throughout the story along with showings of Bishop's faith for the end result of a 20-year walk with forgiveness.

A very strong quote from the book for me is this: Her friend wrote to her once: "That is the point with God: we don't get all the i's dotted and the t's crossed in advance. We're asked to say yes, knowing the path ahead is clouded in uncertainty - to say yes in faith that God will be with us no matter what." I say Amen to that.

The other point that hit me hard in this book was when Bishop discusses Matthew 5:39 and how she had her "Aha" moment in understanding it. I was completely with her and it allowed me to have my "aha" moment. I was just faced with a situation where I was led to read Matthew 5:39 and I even prayed about it as best I could at that time. Bishop writes, "[Jesus] wasn't asking merely that we refrain from striking back. He was asking us to say to the one who opposes us: I know you are angry and in pain. You think that hitting me will make you feel better. It won't - only God can heal that - but I am here. You can hit me as long as you want, till you get tired. I won't hit you back or flinch. Hit me on the left cheek; I will give you my right. When you are worn out by your rage, you will stop, and then we can talk. I get it now: you absorb another's anger and respond with love."

Funny thing for me lately - my lessons seem to keep coming from the Beatitudes in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount - my pastor's sermon referenced it, an album I just reviewed was based upon it, and now in this book, Ms. Bishop references Matthew 5:11 where it reads "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account." She explains that doing the work that Jesus calls us to is transgressive; it is drawing outside the lines. It discomforts people and they disapprove. If she is (or we are) truly obedient to Christ's call to follow him, coming under attack meant she was (or we are) doing something right! It was at the heart of the joy of that journey.

Another powerful paragraph of the book is when Ms. Bishop quotes Hulitt Gloer, a professor, pastor, author, and man of deep faith, who says: "We put God in a box and say, that person is beyond the reach of God's redemptive power. No one is beyond the reach of God's power. There is nothing God wants to do more than change the lives of people. Are we not willing to let God do that work in people's lives? Or are there barriers we set up because we believe that person could never be of value to anybody."

When addressing the subject of mercy, Ms. Bishop contemplated the depth of Christ’s mercy and stated: “I’d always thought that the only thing big enough to pay for the life of my sister was a life sentence for her killer. Now I understood: the only thing big enough to equal the loss of her life--- was for him to be found.”

Near the end of the book, Ms. Bishop shares what she had learned about grace - that it is given, not earned, a function of being loved rather than of worldly accomplishment. Love bears you up. That changes everything.

This book is definitely a "must read" if you have the opportunity to do so. I believe it can help others learn how to act in a more godly and Christ emulating way with their own life experiences in the matter of forgiveness.

I finished this one very quickly: partly because I was sucked into Bishop's storytelling, and partly because I unexpectedly had a lot of time to read this week and it's a short book. I do not support the death penalty, but I'm not sure how I feel about restorative justice (or, as Bishop notes, even how I define it). Bishop's story is heartfelt, real, and complicated. I really enjoyed reading it.

Writing I was quite impressed with the quality of Bishop's writing, both in terms of its literary merit and in terms of its thoughtfulness. I expected it to be mainly memoir with some musings about forgiveness, with a mostly inspirational bent. And while Bishop's story is certainly inspiring, I was very pleased to find that she spends just as much time discussing her belief that Christians should oppose the death penalty as well as her own personal views regarding Christianity and the imposition of a life sentence without the possibility of parole for juvenile offenders. It took a much deeper intellectual and theological route than I expected, but in a challenging and thought-provoking way that I greatly appreciated.

Entertainment Value I think this will appeal to a pretty wide range of readers, although it should be noted that the author is a Christian and comes at the issue from a decidedly Christian viewpoint. A large portion of the book examines her work in the justice system attempting to outlaw the death penalty and her growing concern and activism against sentencing juveniles to life without parole - most of her reasonings coming from a Christian worldview. Of course the book is also filled with inspiration surrounding forgiveness and what it means to forgive without condoning or excusing criminal behavior based on the author's personal experiences. I found it to be very compelling reading and devoured it in just two sittings. I had planned to read it a chapter at a time over the course of a few weeks, but found that I couldn't put it down.

Overall I think this is definitely a must-read for Christians who have an interest in issues of social justice, as well as those who enjoy inspiring stories centered around forgiveness and mercy. It may also appeal to those who oppose the death penalty and are interested in looking for ways to discuss their opposition with Christians from a theological stance. I also think it's a book that can appeal to those who do support the death penalty, but who are interested in hearing other points of view. And it's absolutely idea for readers like me who are or have been on the fence.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to review.