Written by Richelle Thompson
Luke 15:6b-7 (NRSV) “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
Perhaps few of God’s sheep have been as lost as Bo Cox. In his early twenties, addicted to drugs and alcohol, he killed a man, was convicted of murder, and sent to prison.
About ten years into his prison sentence, Cox sent a donation and writing samples to Forward Movement. The then-editor took a chance and asked Bo to write meditations for Forward Day by Day. The response was overwhelming—we still get calls and letters about that first month of Bo’s work. A model of humility and reconciliation, he connected with readers in a powerful way, and his deep and abiding gratitude to a God who forgives and loves was transformative.
Bo continues to write for us—maybe you have read his words and been changed—and, now released from prison, he works at a state-run psychiatric hospital, helping other lost sheep.
In our pragmatic calculus, ninety-nine out of one hundred is a pretty solid return. Thankfully, God has a different reckoning.
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