When he was 16, my friend, William, was jumped into an El Salvadorian gang in East LA. Two years later, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison for armed robbery. There it only got worse. Armed with steel shanks and ties to the Mexican Mafia, he ran the show behind bars, started a prison riot, and ended up in solitary confinement. That’s where he met God. While in solitary, a chaplain gave William a copy of the New Testament. With nothing else to do, he began to read the gospels for the very first time. The prodigal son. The story of the woman caught in adultery. The death and resurrection of Jesus. Within days he was completely transformed. He got out of prison early through a series of small miracles and started a gang outreach and rehab program called Prevencion Y Rescate which is still going strong today.
Friends, no one is ever beyond hope. Because no sin is bigger than the mercy and power of God.
